~ LOVE IS BLIND ~

***** CHAPTER 176 *****

Urs was sitting on the small three seater sofa in the hospital lounge and Kristina was laying across it with her head on his lap. She’d had another bad head ache. Kristina had managed to convince herself that the reason Abigail had gone in to labour so soon was because of the stress and worry she had caused after telling her about Marius and the attack. Urs had done his best to convince her otherwise but wasn’t sure if he was successful. Instead Urs had managed to get her to try and relax and get some sleep; she’d now been asleep for three hours. His legs were starting to go numb but he daren’t move, for fear of waking Kristina. He’d dozed off himself a few times but for the past hour, he’d been sitting there watching Kristina sleep.

Yet again Marius had managed to cause problems. If he ever set eyes on him again, there was no one on earth that would be able to stop him from killing him this time. He still couldn’t understand why Marius was against his relationship with Kristina. He understood that he cared for Aimee but for him to go to the lengths he did to split up him and Kristina was completely out of order. But now it seemed they had overcome yet another obstacle and their love was only getting stronger.

Kristina started to move restlessly but no sooner had Urs started to gently stroke her hair, she let out a small sigh and settled down. Now deep in thought again, his fingers idly combed through her soft tangled blonde curls as she slept. Urs was thinking about his big proposal to Kristina. Ever since he’d decided to ask Kristina to marry him, it had been on his mind constantly. But he wanted to do it right. He’d booked a table at a small local restaurant for the following night and had been planning on asking her then. It wasn’t very original but Urs couldn’t think of how else to ask her, it had never been one of those things that he’d ever thought about when he’d vowed never to marry. Urs carefully slipped his hand inside his jacket pocket, so as not to wake Kristina and pulled out the tiny velvet box. He’d put it in his jacket, as he didn’t want Kristina to find it lying around the apartment. He skillfully opened it with one hand and stared at the solitaire engagement ring. He thought back to the conversation he’d had with his mother that weekend. He truly loved Kristina and knew that marriage was now for him. He had told his mother all about Kristina and she couldn’t wait to meet her. Urs stared at the ring; Kristina had seemed shocked when he suggested moving in together. She had said it was a good idea but he couldn’t help wondering; would a question like this be too sudden? How would she react? Tomorrow would be Valentine’s Day. It would be exactly five years to the day that they first met at the Tony Awards in New York. Tomorrow would be the perfect time to ask her over dinner. He flipped the box shut and slipped it back in to his pocket just as Kristina woke.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sometime later and Abigail was still pushing. She grit her teeth again and began to push, her face turning red.

“Abigail don’t hold your breath.” Caroline reminded her. “You have to push and breathe at the same time.”

“Come on, Abby.” Carlos urged her. “Remember your breathing exercises.”

Carlos then started to repeat the breathing exercises that they had learnt at the pre-natal classes.

“Will you stop it?” Abigail snapped. “Do you think I don’t know how to breathe?”

“Calm down, Abby.” Carlos said, worriedly.

“And don‘t tell me to calm down!” Abigail yelled. “It hurts like hell. You try giving birth and see how calm you are!”

“Abigail, Carlos is right. I need you to calm down and concentrate for me.” Caroline said, snapping her fingers. “On your next contraction, I need you to push as hard as you can.”

“Come on, Abby.” Carlos whispered. “You can do it, I know you can.”

Abigail looked in to Carlos’ eyes as the next contraction came and let out another agonising scream as she pushed with all her might.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What’s the time?” Kristina asked, nervously tapping her foot on the floor.

“It’s twenty minutes since you last asked me. “ Urs replied, after checking his watch. “These things take time.”

“I know, I know.” Kristina sighed, looking at Urs. “But I just hate all this waiting around.”

“Waiting around? You’ve been out of it for almost four hours.” Urs remarked. “I’ve been sitting here on my own, listening to you snore.”

“I do not snore.” Kristina frowning. “Why do you keep saying that?”

“One of these days I’m going to record you.” Urs smirked. “Then you’ll see.”

“You just try it and you’ll regret it, Buhler.” Kristina said, as she reached across and held his wrist, checking his watch.

“I told you.” Urs grinned. “You’re impatient.”

“And I told you to shut it.” Kristina said, trying to keep a straight face. “How long have they been in there?”

Urs looked at his watch again.

“Well, we’ve been here for 7 hours, they got here some time last night, so altogether… about 18 hours.”

“Eighteen?” Kristina said, looking horrified.

A loud scream then came from down the hall, in the direction of Abigail’s room. Kristina shot up out of her seat. She was as white as a sheet.

“Are you okay?” Urs asked, concerned at her appearance.

“I’m fine.” Kristina replied, smiling weakly. “I’d just forgotten how much I hate hospitals and to hear Abigail in that much pain…”

“Hey, Abigail is fine.” Urs said, getting to his feet and putting his arm around Kristina‘s shoulder. “The doctors won’t let anything happen to her.”

“I know.” Kristina said, taking a deep breath. “I’m being silly. Aren’t I?”

“Not at all.” Urs smiled. “You’re just worried about your sister, which is understandable.

Kristina then yawned.

“Why don‘t you try and get some more sleep?”

“So you can tease me about my snoring?” Kristina said, raising an eyebrow. “I don’t think so.”

“So you admit you snore.” Urs chuckled.

“You’re treading on thin ice, Buhler.” Kristina said, slapping him on the arm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The baby yawned as Carlos gently kissed his daughter’s head, savouring the sweet scent of his baby girls soft dark hair. Abigail rested her head back on the pillow, smiling as she watched her husband bonding with his daughter.

“This little girl is going to want for nothing.” Carlos said, when he caught Abigail staring at him. “You do realise she’s going to be spoilt rotten.”

“A proper little daddy’s girl, hey?” Abigail smiled. “Ten minutes old and she’s already got you wrapped around her little finger.”

Carlos sat on the side of the bed next to Abigail, and placed his sleeping daughter in his wife’s arms. He then put an arm around Abigail‘s shoulder.

“I’m so proud of you, Abby.” Carlos whispered, kissing Abigail on the forehead. “I don’t know what I’d do without you and this little one in my life.”

Carlos bent down, this time gently kissing Abigail on the mouth. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Abigail said, sleepily.

“If you’re up to it, how about deciding on a name?” Carlos asked. “I know we’ve talked about them but we didn’t really decide on one.”

“Well, I did have one name in mind.” Abigail replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kristina had decided to take Urs’ advice and try and get some more sleep, seeing as they didn’t know how long they would be there. She had just closed her eyes when she heard Carlos say her name.

“Kristina?”

Kristina opened her eyes and jumped up from her seat and looked at Carlos, waiting for him to give her some news on Abigail.

“Did you want to say hello to your niece?”

A huge smile spread across her face.

“Are you kidding?” she said, hugging Carlos. “Lead the way.”

“Are you coming, Urs?” Carlos asked.

Kristina paused, as she picked up her bag and jacket and looked back at Urs, waiting for his reply.

“No, it’s okay.” Urs smiled. “This is a family thing. You don’t want me there. I’ll just wait here.”

“Nonsense.” Carlos said, approaching Urs and taking hold of his elbow and guiding him in the direction of Abigail‘s room. “You’re one of my closest friends and I want to introduce you to my daughter.”

***** CHAPTER 177 *****

Carlos pushed the door open and let Kristina and Urs enter the room first. Abigail was sitting up in bed and although she was smiling it was obvious she was tired. Kristina went straight to Abigail and hugged and congratulated her sister.

“I guess it’s a stupid question but how do you feel?” Kristina asked. “And how’s the baby?”

“You’re right, it is a stupid question.” Abigail laughed. “I’m tired and sore but thanks for the concern. And she’s not bad considering she‘s premature. But they want to keep her in an incubator for a few days.”

Kristina then spotted the tiny baby fast asleep in a cot at the end of the bed.

“We wanted you to meet Eliana before they move her.” Carlos said, smiling at both Kristina and Urs.

“Eliana?” Urs asked. “You’ve decided on a name already?”

“Yes.” Abigail smiled at Carlos. “Eliana Alexa Marin.”

“I love it. It’s a gorgeous name.” Kristina said, hugging her sister again. “But she’s going to be okay though, isn’t she?”

“They don’t think there’s any reason to be worried.” Abigail answered. “I think it’s more of a precaution than anything. She just needs to be kept warm and because she’s so young, she can’t regulate her body temperature.”

Urs and Kristina approached the cot; Eliana was still sleeping.

“Oh Urs, look at her.” Kristina murmured, as she clutched his arm. “She’s so beautiful.”

Urs couldn’t help but smile at Kristina’s amazement at the new born baby.

“Of course she is.” Urs replied, still smiling. ”She has great genes in her family.”

Urs then glanced at Abigail and then Carlos, the three of them seemed to exchange a knowing look. Kristina seemed oblivious. All of them stood in silence and watched Eliana for several minutes, when Eliana suddenly yawned and her eyelids fluttered open revealing bright blue eyes.

“Look at her eyes.” Kristina said, pointing at Eliana. “They’re blue. Surely they should be brown or green.”

“All babies are born with blue eyes.” Urs replied. “Didn’t you know?”

Kristina shook her head, still staring at Eliana.

“They’ll stay that colour until she’s about 9 months old, it‘s something to do with the amount of Melanin produced in their body.” Urs told her. “Don’t worry, I was a bit surprised when I noticed the same thing with one of my nieces.”

“You’re just a walking encyclopaedia aren’t you.” Kristina chuckled, turning around to glance briefly at him.

“I have my uses.” Urs winked.

“Can I touch her?” Kristina said, looking at Abigail.

“Of course you can.” Abigail replied.

“Hello Eliana.” Kristina said softly, as she gently ran her hand over the miniscule black curls on her head. “I’m your auntie Kristina.”

Eliana made a gurgling sound and the corners of her small mouth moved slightly creating what looked like the tiniest of smiles. Kristina looked round at Urs, her face beaming. Urs smiled back at her, he was just happy to be with Kristina and to be sharing this special moment with her. Urs then went round to the other side of the cot and put his hand inside. Eliana made another gurgling sound, her head turning in Urs’ direction. Her small hands waved aimlessly in the air. Urs held out his little finger and Eliana instantly caught hold of it. It was now Urs’ turn to smile at Kristina, unable to hide his delight at seeing Eliana and at the prospect that maybe he and Kristina would one day have children together.

“There’s no mistaking that’s your daughter, Carlos.” Kristina said, smiling. “Just look at her, she’s already got a head full of dark curls.”

“Can’t deny that.” Urs agreed. “You can’t help but wonder what your own son or daughter would look like.”

“I’m guessing any child of yours would inherit those dimples of yours.” Kristina commented.

Urs gave her a big smile, which only emphasised his dimples even more. He looked back at Eliana, and her tiny pink hand was still curled tightly around his little finger.

“Something tells me she’s going to be a real stunner when she’s older.” Urs commented. “I still can’t believe that you, the Spanish Tom Jones is finally a father. That poor child, Tom Jones as a father figure.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Carlos said, gently pushing him on the shoulder. “Do you think your children are going to grow up being perfect angels like you? Or will it be Hells Angels?”

“There’s nothing wrong with motorbikes.” Urs said a little defensively.

“Well just you wait until you have a daughter.” Carlos replied. “And they come home one day and introduce you to their new boyfriend; some 6ft greasy biker, old enough to be her dad and who looks like he’s out on remand.”

“It won’t happen.” Urs said, adamantly. “She’s not going to have a boyfriend until she’s atleast thirty and even then, I’ll be vetting every guy that comes within one hundred yards of her.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Carlos laughed.

Abigail and Kristina looked at each other and giggled. The men were funny to listen to.

A nurse then appeared to take Eliana up to another ward, so Urs and Kristina said their goodbyes and decided to head back to Kristina’s first. She wanted to pick up some more clothes before going back to Urs’ apartment. When they came outside they were greeted with a white landscape. In the time they had been inside the hospital, it must’ve have snowed several inches; and it was still snowing. Kristina and Urs had got a taxi back to her house but they hadn’t even reached the front door when someone threw a snowball narrowly missing Urs’ head and hitting the wall with a dull thud.

“Damn it!”

Kristina and Urs turned to see none other than David, standing at the end of the path.

“What are you doing here?” Kristina asked.

“I know how much you love snow.” David grinned. “Thought you might want to go to the park and have a muck about. But where have you guys been?”

“We’ve just got back from the hospital.” Urs replied. “Abigail went in to labour yesterday.”

“Is she okay?” David asked, now worried.

“Mother and daughter are doing fine.” Kristina grinned.

“A girl? She had a girl? That’s fantastic news! I’ll have to pop in there later and pay a visit. But in the meantime… you want to go to the park?”

Urs looked at Kristina; he could tell by the look on her face that she was dying to go.

“Why not.” He shrugged, as he took her hand and they made their way down the path.

***** CHAPTER 178 *****


It seemed that everyone had the same idea as they did. The park was full of parents with young children building snowmen and teenagers having snowballs fights or pushing friends on sledges. Kristina loved the snow, and seeing London like this only reminded her of home and the big snow storms in New York.

Urs jumped as a snowball hit him on the back of his head.

“What the….”

He turned to see Kristina looking at him, her hand over her mouth.

“Sorry.” She blushed. “I was aiming for David.”

“Oh thanks!” David said, bending down to grab a handful of snow.

“David! No!” Kristina said, giggling as she started to run in the opposite direction. “I didn’t hit you.”

“No but you were aiming for me.” David replied, forming a snowball in his hands. “Or did I hear wrong?”

“You heard wrong.” as she hurled another snowball at David, which hit him smack in the chest.

“Good throw!” Urs laughed at David.

David was about to throw the snowball at Kristina but after Urs’ comment he changed his mind. He threw the snowball at Urs and missed; but Kristina didn’t.

“Oh so that’s how it’s going to be; two against one.” Urs said, now grabbing a handful of snow.

Kristina saw Urs making a snowball and ran. She tried to jump over a huge pile of snow which had been cleared from the path but she caught the top of it with her foot and fell over, disappearing out of sight. Urs ran over to Kristina to make sure she was okay. But as he reached the snow pile, he was hit with another snowball, in the middle of his chest. She was laying on her back, looking up at him giggling.

“You think that’s funny?” Urs said, stepping over the snow pile and standing over her.

“Yes.” Kristina said, laughing as she made a move to get up. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist it.”

“You know I could get you back.” he said, holding out his hand.

“Maybe.” Kristina said, taking his hand and letting him help her up. “But I don’t think you will.”

As she got to her feet, their eyes locked on to one another and both fell silent. Urs closed his eyes and leant in to kiss her but Kristina had other ideas. She still had a handful of snow, which she dropped down the back of his coat making him gasp with shock.

“Why you….”

Urs quickly shook the snow out and then started chasing after Kristina who was screaming and pleading with David to help her. But David stood there laughing and watched as Urs caught up with her and pulled her down in to the snow with him, and slid his cold hands up under her top.

“Urs Buhler, that’s not fair.” She screamed, wriggling underneath him.

“I’m just getting my own back, dear.” Urs said softly, before kissing the end of her nose.

Kristina giggled and looked up at Urs. Both of them fell silent again.

“I love you.” She whispered to him.

“I love you too.” He whispered back before lowering his head and placing a soft kiss on her mouth.

He then saw a tear slowly roll down her cheek. He reached out and gently wiped it away with his thumb.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“Because I’m so happy.” She said, smiling as another tear escaped. “I’ve never been this happy before and it’s all because of you.”

Again, silence fell between them until Urs suddenly sat up and reached inside his jacket and pulled out the small red velvet box.

“I was going to ask you tonight over dinner but now seems like the perfect time.” He said, starting to slowly open the box; but Kristina placed her hand over his, stopping him from going any further.

“Urs wait… Are you sure about this?”

“I wouldn’t be asking you if I wasn’t one hundred percent sure.”

“But you’ve always said you would never marry…”

“I made that promise to myself a long time ago, Krissy; before I met you.”

“But still…”

“No more ‘buts’.” Urs interrupted her. He pulled the box out from under her hand and continued to open it, showing the ring to Kristina.

“It belonged to my grandmother.”

Kristina looked at the ring and then back at Urs.

“Urs…”

Urs then got up from his sitting position and knelt on one knee.

“Kristina Sanders, will you make me the happiest man alive and do me the honour of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?”

“Urs, I…” Kristina looked back at the ring; her head was in a spin and her heart was beating so fast that she was sure it would burst. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Krissy, I’m asking you to marry me.” Urs whispered. “You’re supposed to say yes.”

“I know…” Kristina mumbled breathlessly as she shook her head in disbelief. “I know.”

“And?” Urs said, hopefully; waiting for her response.

Kristina continued to stare at the ring and then back at Urs. Urs couldn’t tell what she was thinking, then all of a sudden a huge smile appeared on her face and yet more tears escaped.

“Yes!” Kristina whispered, now nodding her head vigorously. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you.”

:evil: :evil: :evil:

***** CHAPTER 179 *****

“You will?” Urs gasped.

“Of course I’ll marry you.” Kristina told him, as she got to her knees and flung her arms around his neck and let yet more tears fall.

Urs captured her mouth in a warm and loving kiss. He then took the ring out of the box and carefully placed it on Kristina’s finger, knowing that even without a ring they had a love that would last forever.

“A perfect fit.” He smiled. “It’s almost like it was made just for you.”

“I’ll never take it off.” She whispered to him.

“Er… guys….”

They looked up to see David standing above them.

“Urs, did you just do what I think you did?”

“If you mean did I just ask Krissy to marry me, then the answer’s yes, I did.”

“Seriously?” David said, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Completely.” Urs replied, his face beaming.

“And I accepted.” Kristina said, her face also beaming as she held out her left hand, proudly showing David the ring.

“Congratulations guys.” David said, as they both stood up and he then promptly hugged them. “If you don’t mind me saying, it’s about bloody time!”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Urs sighed. “Do you know it’s five years today that we first met? I never thought this day would come.”

“I hadn’t forgotten.” Kristian said, smiling. “Pretty hard not to, seeing as it was Valentine’s Day.”

“So when do I get my present?” Urs asked, smiling.

“Who says I’ve got you anything?” Kristina asked, trying to keep a straight face. “As of twenty four hours ago, we weren’t even a couple.”

“You mean you really haven’t bought me anything?” Urs asked, pretending to be hurt.

“Aww! Are we going to have our first lovers tiff as an engaged couple?” David said jokingly.

“Never!” Kristina grinned. “Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we go back to the hospital? David, you can meet Eliana; and Urs, we can tell Carlos and Abigail about the engagement.”

“Can’t it wait until later?” Urs asked, as a playful look took hold of his face. “I kind of had other things planned for us today.”

“Such as? Oh you mean planning the wedding.” Kristina joked, knowing full well what Urs had planned. “Well, that won’t take much work. I already know what I would like. I want a church wedding, a white dress, oh and I want to be married in Spring!”

“Krissy, you do realize that Spring is officially next month?” David laughed.

“Do you think that’s enough time to plan a wedding?” Kristina asked, innocently.

“You can have anything you want.” Urs said, wrapping his arms around her and placing a soft kiss on her forehead. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“Fine, now we’ve got that sorted, where are we going?” David asked.

“Oh come on, Urs. Please?” Kristina said, looking at him longingly. “We don’t have to stay for long and then we can go straight home.”

“Incase you’ve forgotten, you made a promise to me last night.” Urs said, smirking.

Kristina stepped closer to him and took hold of his jacket collar, pulling him down to eye level and whispered to him.

“And I have every intention of keeping that promise Herr Buhler. Trust me, it’ll be worth the wait.”

“Fine!” Urs agreed, needing no more encouragement. “Let’s head back to the hospital then.”

The trio managed to find a taxi and headed back to the hospital. They stopped not far from the hospital and walked the few remaining yards to the hospital entrance. Of course David couldn’t help throwing the odd snowball along the way. Kristina was just about to throw a snowball of her own when she thought she saw someone she recognized; but she couldn’t see him properly as he was on the other side of the road. Kristina let the snowball fall to the ground and slowly walked along the pavement, in the same direction hoping to catch a glimpse of him but the passing pedestrians kept blocking her view.

“Krissy, where are you going?” Urs said, as Kristina walked along infront of him and David.

“I think I know him.” She mumbled.

“Who do you know?” Urs asked, but she didn’t reply. “Krissy?”

David then threw a snowball at Urs, who momentarily forgot about Kristina’s mysterious man and started making another snowball. It was only when the man stopped at the entrance to the hospital that he looked round in Kristina’s direction and she had a clear view of him.

“Oh my God!” she whispered. “It’s him!”

Kristina could feel her heart beating faster, filled with panic and worry over her sister.

“I have to warn her.” Kristina said out loud to herself. “If he finds Abigail... excuse me!”

Without giving it a second thought, Kristina pushed her way past the pedestrians and ran out in to the main road, not even looking to see if something was coming. She was so intent on warning her sister that she didn’t even see the car heading straight for her until it was too late. Kristina took the full impact of the car as it hit her, flipping her up on to the bonnet before hitting the windscreen. It was only when David and Urs heard screams that they looked to see what had happened and that’s when they saw Kristina. The car skidded to a halt on the icy road and Kristina slid off the bonnet, landing on the road.

“Krissy!” Urs yelled, pushing his way through the crowd with David close behind.

“Go and get someone from the hospital.” David yelled at someone who was standing watching. “Now!”

“Is she alive?” someone asked.

“Krissy!” Urs knelt down beside Kristina and felt for a pulse. He closed his eyes and sighed when he felt it beating strong.

Kristina slowly opened her eyes. She could just make out several people standing around her. Someone was standing over her, crying.

“I didn’t see her! I swear; she just ran straight out in front of me.”

She could hear other voices but noticed a man kneeling beside her but she couldn’t see him properly.

“Urs?” she said faintly.

“I’m right here, Krissy?” Urs replied, gently taking her hand in his. “And so is David.”

“Abigail…” Kristina mumbled.

“Abigail’s fine.” Urs said softly.

“No, no you have to warn her, Urs.” Kristina said, squeezing his hand. “We have to tell her….”

Kristina tried to get up but she felt a shooting pain run through her body. She noticed a metallic taste in her mouth, almost like blood. Kristina closed her eyes, desperately trying to deal with the huge feeling of nausea that suddenly came over her.

“Krissy, open your eyes.”

“My leg....” Kristina mumbled, her eyes still closed. “It hurts.”

“Okay…. Just keep still.” Urs said, brushing the hair from her face. “But please, open your eyes.”

Kristina opened her eyes but all she could see now were dark shapes hovering above her. She closed her eyes again as another wave of nausea hit her.

“Krissy, you’ve got to keep your eyes open for me.” he said desperately, feeling her pulse which now seemed to be getting weaker by the second.

Kristina was starting to feel cold and tired and her eyelids felt so heavy; she just wanted to go to sleep. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times before her eyes fluttered shut again. Urs then noticed a small pool of blood soaking the ground beneath her; turning the snow red.

“Krissy, listen to me!” Urs pleaded. “You’ve got to open your eyes. You’ve got to stay awake.”

But Kristina wasn’t listening; she was trying to forget about the pain in her arms and her legs. Her head was pounding, she felt sick, the taste of blood in her mouth was stronger than ever, it hurt when she tried to breathe and she was sure she’d broken something.

“Where the hell are the doctors?” Urs yelled.

“They’re coming now.” someone called out.

“It’s okay, Krissy.” Urs said, trying to sound confident. “They’re coming. You’ll be just fine. It won’t be long now.”

Kristina didn’t answer.

“Krissy?” Urs said, gently squeezing her hand.

Kristina still didn’t respond.

“Don’t you dare leave me, Krissy.” Urs whispered; his voice choked with tears. “Not now. Not like this. I won’t let you. Do you hear me? I won’t let you.”

But it was no use; his words fell on deaf ears. For Kristina, there was no more pain and no more voices, only darkness.

***** CHAPTER 180 ****

When they arrived at the hospital, the paramedics rushed Kristina through to one of the emergency rooms with David and Urs following close behind. Doctors were shouting orders, nurses were rushing around, more doctors were hovering around Kristina, checking she had a clear airway and trying to identify any injuries and stop the bleeding. Everything looked a blur to David and Urs as they stood in the doorway and watched. They couldn’t believe what had just happened.

“There are so many people.” Urs mumbled.

“I’m sure they know what they’re doing, Urs.” David said, trying to reassure him. “They’re all there to help Krissy. She’ll be fine.”

A doctor then bumped in to Urs from behind as he rushed past him and into the emergency room where Kristina was being treated.

“What have we got?” he asked.

“Thirty three year old female, her name is Kristina.” A young male doctor replied. “Unresponsive to stimuli. Breathing’s shallow and laboured.”

David and Urs stood and watched as the doctor examined Kristina, taking out a stethoscope and checking her breathing, while a nurse placed EKG electrodes on her chest and hooked her up to a cardiac monitor.

“It sounds like there might be some chest trauma. And it feels like she’s broken some ribs, so we could be looking at a collapsed lung or punctured lung. Can we give her some help here?”

Another nurse quickly placed an oxygen mask over Kristina’s nose and mouth and fastened it around her head.

“Kristina? Can you hear me?” the doctor asked, now leaning over her and checking her pupils. “Kristina?”

Urs stood watching; waiting for some kind of response from her but there was nothing.

“It looks like she’s got a pretty serious injury on her head.” A nurse commented, as she cleaned away the blood on Kristina’s matted hair.

“I’ll take a look in a second. But first we need to intubate. Her pulse and BP are all over the place. I don’t like it. And someone get me an IV kit.”

The monitor suddenly started making funny noises, beeping irregularly; all heads turned to the cardiac monitor. It then started to emit a shrill noise and began fluctuating wildly.

“Pulse is 45.” One of the nurses shouted. “Pressure’s dropped to 60/30. She’s in V-Fib.”

Urs stood motionless as more chaos followed. The conversations were garbled, overlapping voices, questions asked, answers given, it was all a whirlwind of activity and Urs couldn’t take it all in. The doctors leaped in to action, as the monitor now gave off a monotone sound, cutting away at her clothes and removing the oxygen mask and replacing it with a manual compression bag.

“She’s flatlining.” Another nurse yelled. “We’re losing her.”

There was a renewed urgency as doctors and nurses rushed around, all with their minds set on saving their patient.

“Get the paddles.” The head doctor shouted to the nurse. “Charge to 150.”

A nurse grabbed a bottle of clear gel and squirted it on to the paddles of a defibrillator, and then a high pitched wailing could be heard, indicating that the defibrillator was being charged.

“Charged.”

The doctor then took the paddles from the nurse and pressed them against Kristina’s chest.

“Okay everyone, clear.” The doctor instructed.

“Clear.”

Kristina’s body arched up as he sent a jolt of electricity through her heart and then she slumped back down on the bed.

A few seconds passed.

“No pulse.”

“Increase to 200.”

Urs held his breath as the next couple of minutes seemed to drag on forever, while the doctors and nurses worked frantically to save Kristina.

“Charged.”

“Clear.”

The doctor tried again.

“Still nothing.” The nurse informed him.

Urs stood motionless, in a daze. The room was starting to spin and he felt light headed, as he found himself holding his breath, willing Kristina to breathe. “Come on Krissy.” He whispered to himself. “Breathe, God damn it, breathe.”

“Okay, try 250.”

The doctor tried again to revive her and Urs watched as once again her body arched up and then fell limply back on the bed.

“She’s still flatlining.” The nurse informed them. “What do you want to do?”

“Keep trying!” Urs yelled suddenly, making his presence known. “You can’t give up. Keep trying. Please. You can’t let her die. You just can’t.”

One of the doctors looked up at Urs and pointed to him.

“What’s he doing in here? Someone get him out of here. Now!”

“Doctor Mills, what do you want to do?” the nurse asked, still waiting for an answer.

“Let’s try 300.” He replied.

While the doctors and nurses desperately continued to try and revive Kristina, Urs and David were bustled out of the emergency room in to the corridor and the doors were swiftly closed behind them. Urs now couldn’t see anything but he could still hear the commotion inside the treatment room. Urs felt as if his whole world was about to collapse, as if his own heart had stopped beating. He felt numb. The one person he loved, the one person who meant more to him than anything in the world was slowly slipping through his fingers and there wasn’t a thing he could do. He was losing her.

***** CHAPTER 181 *****

“Excuse me, sir?”

Someone tapped Urs on the shoulder.

“Did you bring this young lady in?” a young nurse asked, pointing to the room Kristina was in. “Do you know who she is?”

“Krissy.” Urs mumbled, without even turning to acknowledge her presence.

“Can you tell me her full name, sir?” the nurse asked again.

“Krissy.” Urs muttered again.

“Excuse me, I’m a friend. Perhaps I can help. What details do you need to know?” David asked; taking charge of the situation, seeing as Urs was in no state to answer any questions.

Urs stood staring in to space in the direction of the closed doors, while David gave the nurse Kristina’s details. As soon as that was done, he returned to Urs who was still standing in the same exact spot he had left him.

“Urs?”

He turned to see David standing behind him.

“She will be alright. She will make it.”

“Do you think so?” Urs asked quietly.

“I know so.” David replied. “Krissy’s a fighter; look at all she’s been through in her life. And now she has you. She’s not going to give that up without a damn good fight.”

Urs was about to reply when the doors to the emergency room burst open and two doctors hurried past with Kristina. A nurse was kneeling on one side of the trolley, holding an oxygen mask over Kristina’s face and keeping an eye on her breathing, and another nurse running alongside, holding up an IV drip.

“Krissy?” Urs gasped. He then noticed the doctor ahead of them and chased after him, demanding to know what was going on.

“What happened? Is she going to be alright?”

The doctor and the nurses wheeled Kristina in to the waiting elevator and he turned and pressed a button before answering Urs.

“No time to explain. We’ve got to get her up to surgery before she crashes again.”

“Surgery? But what for? What’s wrong with her?”

The elevator doors then closed on them and Urs still didn’t have his answer.

“What did he say Urs? Where are they taking her?” David asked, arriving just as the doors closed.

“They’re taking her up to surgery.” Urs said, rubbing his forehead.

“Did they say why?”

Urs shook his head.

“He said he didn’t have time to explain.”

“Are you Mr Buhler?” a female voice asked.

Urs turned to see a young nurse standing behind him – it was the same nurse David had been speaking to earlier on when giving her Kristina’s details.

“Yes, I am.”

“My name is Alison. If you’d both like to come with me, I can show you somewhere that you can sit and wait until Kristina comes back from surgery.”

The two of them followed her and they got in to another elevator. They got off at the same floor, where Kristina was having her surgery.

“Do you know what’s wrong with her?” Urs asked, as they now followed the nurse down a corridor. Urs wondered if the doctor had explained to her what was going on; perhaps she could shed some light on things. “Do you know why they’ve taken her up to surgery?”

“I don’t know all the details of her condition but I understand she has some internal bleeding.” She could see the sudden look of worry on Urs’ face and tried to reassure him that Kristina was in capable hands. “Don’t worry. Dr Mills is one of the best doctors we have here. He won’t let anything happen to her.”

The nurse opened a door to a small waiting room. It could only seat around 6 people but there was a small table with reading materials and in the corner, a tea and coffee maker and a box of tissues. The room seemed to be designed for families and tried to offer a little more privacy.

“Do you know how long it will take? The surgery.” David asked.

“I honestly couldn’t say.” She replied. “But as soon as I have any news, I will come and let you know.”

They thanked Alison and both of them took a seat, waiting to hear on Kristina’s progress.

********************

Urs sat staring at the clock on the wall. Time was passing so slowly; it felt like they had been sitting there all day but in reality it had been just over an hour. In that time, he and David had been sitting in complete silence. David had tried to talk to Urs, to reassure him that everything was fine and then to try and take his mind off things but Urs didn't want to talk. He wasn't interested in hearing anything other than how Kristina was.

Every now and then he would glance at the door, listening to the sounds of footsteps of each and every passer by. He heard more footsteps; were they getting closer or would they carry on walking by? Perhaps it was Alison, the nurse, coming to tell them that the surgery went well; or even worse, the Doctor, coming to deliver the bad news, that there were ‘unexpected complications’ and that they had done everything they could but unfortnutely Kristina hadn’t made it. It was always the Doctor’s job of informing the family of bad news. If everything went well, there was no need for him to show himself, he had done his work. Yet again, the footsteps passed by, leaving him to still wonder about Kristina.

“David’s right. She's going to be just fine." Urs told himself. “She’s a fighter.”

Not long had passed when he heard footsteps again; they stopped right outside the door. Urs could hear some mumbling but couldn’t make out any words. Then the door opened; it was Nurse Alison. He was expecting her to be all smiles but there was something about the look on her face that made him nervous. He slowly stood up from his seat, as a nauseous feeling came over him. Urs looked at David; he couldn’t find his voice to ask the all important question. David sensed his apprehension and gave a nod of understanding to Urs.

“How is she?” David asked.

Nurse Alison quietly closed the door and took a seat opposite David and Urs. Urs sat back down and waited to hear what she had to say. He was already feeling sick with nerves, his stomach was in knots and his hands felt cold and damp, yet his face felt hot and flushed.

“Dr Mills said the surgery went well. She’s in the recovery room at the moment, so you won’t be able to see her just yet.”

Urs leant back in his seat and breathed out a sigh of relief. He hadn’t realised he’d been holding his breath again. He was so relieved at hearing she was still alive, so he couldn’t understand why he had tears rolling down his face.

“As soon as she’s settled, myself or one of the other nurses will show you where Kristina is.” Alison said, getting to her feet.

“Thank you.” Urs said; reaching for her arm as she stood up.

She smiled and gently patted his arm, before leaving the room.

“Do you think you’ll be alright on your own for a few minutes?” David asked; when Alison had left. “I need to make a phonecall and then I think someone should tell Carlos and Abigail what’s happened.”

“Of course. You go.” Urs nodded and gave a weak smile. “But I can tell Carlos and Abigail. It shouldn’t be left up to you.”

“No, you wait here.” David told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Wait for Alison. If you’re not here when I come back, don’t worry, I’ll come and find you.”

Urs watched as David left the room and then closed his eyes, as he ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath. He was trying to keep a hold on his emotions. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Obviously he was relieved that Kristina was still alive but he had come so close to losing her.

There was a light tap on the door and Alison re-appeared.

“Kristina’s settled in a room now; would you like to see her?”

Urs didn’t need to be asked twice; he shot up from his seat.

“Lead the way.”

Alison led him out of the waiting room, down the corridor and into the elevator. When the doors opened at Kristina’s floor, they walked a short distance down yet another corridor and then a few yards ahead Urs spotted Dr Mills. He smiled gently at Urs when he saw him. Urs froze, something had happened to Kristina; why else would he be here?

***** CHAPTER 182 *****

David slowly made his way to the nurse’s station and made enquiries as to Abigail’s whereabouts. He explained that her sister had been brought in after a car accident and one of the nurses immediately showed David the way. He thanked her and then stood outside her room, wondering how on earth he was going to break the news to her. He gently tapped on the door before opening it and popped his head around the door.

On seeing David, Carlos immediately got up from his seat and pointed to Abigail who was fast asleep and then put a finger to his lips. David nodded, and they both stepped outside the room, quietly closing the door behind them.

“Sorry about that, but she’s only just fallen asleep and she really does need to get some rest.” Carlos said, hugging his friend. “But it’s great to see you, David.”

“It’s quite alright.” David replied. “Congratulations on finally becoming a father.”

“Thanks.” Carlos said, grinning broadly.

“Is everything okay with the baby, seeing as she’s a few weeks early?”

“She’s fine.” Carlos replied. “They’re keeping her in an incubator for a few days but there’s nothing seriously wrong with her thank goodness. So I’m guessing Kristina called you to tell you about baby Eliana.”

David tensed at the mention of Kristina’s name, as he remembered the real reason he was here to see Carlos and Abigail.

“Not exactly.” He replied. “I went to see Kristina this morning and she and Urs had just arrived home from the hospital. They told me what had happened.”

“Urs and Kristina, hey?” Carlos said, grinning as he slipped his hands in his pockets. “Looks like those two have finally got their act together.”

“You could say that.” David smiled. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this but Urs proposed earlier and Kristina accepted.”

“No way!” Carlos said, genuinely shocked. “I didn’t think he was the marrying type. Atleast that’s what he’s always been telling me.”

“Yeah, me too.” David chuckled. “But love can do strange things to you.”

“Just wait until Abigail hears. She’ll be over the moon.”

It then fell silent between the two of them and David knew that he had to tell Carlos about the accident but had no idea where to start.

“Look, Carlos…” David paused and took a deep breath before continuing. “I have something to tell you and I’m afraid it’s not good news.”

“What’s wrong?” Carlos asked, seeing the troubled look on David’s face.

“The three of us, we were on our way here because Kristina wanted to tell you and Abigail about the engagement but… there was an accident.”

“An accident? Are you okay?” Carlos asked, giving David the once over.

“I’m fine.” David smiled. “And so is Urs, but Kristina… it happened just outside the hospital. Kristina went on ahead of us and the driver said she just ran out infront of him. He didn’t see her and couldn’t stop in time.”

“Oh, dear Lord.” Carlos mumbled, as he quickly took a seat. “She’s not… I mean, she’s alive?”

“She’s in surgery at the moment.” David replied, taking a seat next to him. “We’re not sure why though. Me and Urs were in the emergency room when she stopped breathing but they managed to revive her. Urs is upstairs waiting for some news. But I thought someone should come and tell you what had happened.”

“Yes… yes, thank you David.” Carlos said in a whisper. “I appreciate it.” He then looked up at David. “How on earth am I going to tell Abigail?”

“Did you want me to tell her?” David asked.

“No, no it’s fine. I’ll tell her.” Carlos forced a smile. “It will probably easier for her to take, coming from me; if that’s possible. She’s on such a high after Eliana and now this…” Carlos shook his head in disbelief. “I won’t wake her yet. I’ll let her sleep.”

David got up from his seat.

“Well, I’d better get back and see how Urs is doing. But if you need anything, be sure to call me.”

“I will.” Carlos replied, standing up and shaking David’s hand. “And thanks for letting me know. I’ll stay with Abigail but will you keep me updated on Kristina?”

“Of course I will.”

The two friends hugged each other before going their separate ways. But before going back to Urs, David had to make a phone call. He and Angie were planning on going out for dinner later that night, but there was no way he was leaving Urs on his own now. He knew she would understand but he had to let Angie know and then ask if she could make Sebastien aware of what had happened.

***************

Urs swallowed hard to try and clear the lump from his throat as he started walking again and slowly approached Dr Mills.

“Mr Buhler?” he said, holding his hand out.

“Yes.” He replied, shaking his hand.

“I understand you’re related to Kristina.” Dr Mills commented.

“Well, sort of.” Urs replied. “We’re engaged. Is everything okay?”

“Not exactly; that’s why I need to talk to you about Kristina’s condition.” Dr Mills said, ushering him in to small room off the corridor.

“Her condition? I don’t understand.” Urs frowned. “The nurse said the surgery went well.”

“There are still a few things I need to explain about her injuries.” He replied. “Please, take a seat.”

The two of them sat down and Dr Mills placed his clipboard on an empty chair, before leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

“Kristina has sustained a couple of broken ribs and a broken leg. She did have some internal bleeding from a ruptured spleen. That’s why we needed to get her up to surgery. She’d lost quite a lot of blood.”

“But she’s alright now, isn’t she?” Urs asked. “I mean… the surgery.”

“Yes the surgery went fine but I’m still concerned about her.” Dr Mills paused. “I understand from her medical records that Kristina is a donor kidney recipient and she also suffers from Temporal Artertis.”

Urs nodded.

“Yes. Is that why you’re here now? Is there something wrong with her kidneys? Or her eyesight?”

“There doesn’t seem to be.” Dr Mills replied. “But Kristina was hit with quite some force and has a serious head injury. We’re not sure of the extent of damage yet, that’s why I’m going to arrange for some more tests.”

“How serious are we talking?” he asked.

“We’ve manged to stabilise her condition but I want to keep her here in ICU.” Dr Mills replied. “I’ll be honest with you; she’s not out of the woods yet.”

“You mentioned tests. What sort of tests?” Urs asked, now worried that he could still lose Kristina. “What are they for?”

“We’ve moved her here to ICU so that we can do a CCT scan.” Dr Mills informed him. “Kristina hasn’t woken up yet and in all honesty, I would have expected her to be awake by now. That’s why we need to do the CCT scan, to see if we can find out why she’s still unconscious.”

“So when do you think she will wake up?” Urs asked. “You must have some idea.”

“Mr Buhler, perhaps I haven’t made myself clear. Kristina is unconscious, so in other words, she’s in a coma. We have no idea when she will wake up. It could be hours or days; it could even be weeks. We have no way of knowing. It’s just the body’s way of saving Kristina from a lot of unnecessary pain. She needs time to heal.”

“I want to see her.” Urs said, in a strangely calm voice.

“Of course.” Dr Mills said; getting up from his seat. “I’ll take you there myself.”

They made the short walk along the corridor and stopped a few doors down.

“Don’t be worried by what you see, okay? Everything is there for a reason and that reason is to help Kristina. Ready?”

Urs nodded and took a deep breath as Dr Mills opened the door.

***** CHAPTER 183 *****

Dr Mills opened the door and Urs slowly walked inside; letting out a small sob, when he saw Kristina. There were multiple IV’s hanging around her bed, providing fluids and medication, she had a small white dressing on the right side of her head and her right leg was slightly raised off the bed and in a plaster cast. Urs just wanted to take her in his arms and keep her safe but he daren’t touch her; she looked so frail and vulnerable.

There was a chair next to Kristina’s bed, so Urs walked round to the other side and sat down. He couldn’t take his eyes off Kristina. Urs was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t hear Dr Mills tell him goodbye, or even notice when Alison entered the room, after escorting David to Kristina’s room.

“Urs?” David was now standing opposite him on the other side of the bed.

“Please tell me this isn’t happening.” Urs mumbled, as he looked up at David, his eyes brimming with tears. He was filled with panic, fear and grief. He was constantly reminded of the time he lost Aimee in similar circumstances.

“Urs, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”

“They said she won’t wake up.” Urs whispered, almost choking on his tears. “She’s in a coma, David.”

“A coma?” David mumbled. “But I thought she was okay now. The surgery…”

“She’s got a serious head injury, that’s what the doctor said. They want to do tests; scans.”

“Urs, I… I’m sure she’ll be fine.” David said, not sure who he was trying to convince; Urs or himself. “People wake up from comas all the time.”

“I wish I had your confidence.” Urs said quietly. “The doctor said he’s worried about her. She’s not out of the woods yet; they were his exact words. I could still lose her, David. She could still…”

“Don’t say it.” David said abruptly; cutting him off. “I don’t want to hear it. I told you, Kristina’s a fighter. She’s going to make it. Do you hear me? She’s going to wake up and then you two can start planning this wedding of yours.”

Urs looked back at Kristina as he gently took her left hand in his; he half expected her to wake up, but she didn’t. To think that just a few hours ago, they had been laughing and joking and planning a wedding.

“Where’s her ring?” Urs asked, suddenly noticing that Kristina’s engagement ring was missing. “Someone’s taken her ring.”

“It’s okay, sir.” Alison reassured him, as she went to the small bedside cabinet. “All of Kristina’s belongings are in here for safe keeping.” She then took out a small green carrier bag with all of Kristina’s possessions and handed it to Urs. He quickly searched through the bag until he found Kristina’s ring.

“If you’d like me to put it in the hospital safe, I’ll be glad to. Or if you’d prefer you could take it with you, that’s fine.” Alison informed him. “But we’d have to ask you to sign for it. It’s just hospital procedure.”

But Urs didn’t reply; instead he placed it on Kristina’s finger.

“Mr Buhler, we’d rather the patients didn’t wear jewellery.”

“It’s her engagement ring.” Urs said abruptly.

David went round the other side of the bed and stood next to Urs, placing his hand on his shoulder.

“Urs perhaps it’s best if…”

“She said she would never take it off.” Urs said, glaring at David and then Alison. “The ring stays on. Do you hear me?”

Alison looked at David, who nodded and then looked back to Urs.

“Yes, sir.”

She then turned and left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

“Urs, there was no need to be rude to her. It doesn’t hurt to be polite now and then.”

“I don’t care.” Urs said, now looking back at Kristina. “I’m not here to make friends. I’m here because of Krissy.”

David knew it was pointless in talking to Urs when he was in this mood and he knew he needed some time alone; they both did. Urs needed to be with Kristina and David needed to clear his head. He couldn’t help feeling that he was partly to blame for the accident. If he hadn’t gone to Kristina’s she would still be safe at home.

“Urs, I’m not feeling too good.” David said quietly. “I need to go and get some fresh air. Will you be okay on your own again?”

Urs nodded. His eyes welled up with tears as he held Kristina’s hand, praying for her to wake up and that he wouldn’t lose her the same way he had lost Aimee. He was determined to stay by her side until she woke. He wouldn’t leave her; he couldn’t. He had left Aimee and he’d lost her; he wasn’t about to make the same mistake with Kristina.

David made his way out of the hospital and sat down on one of the benches outside. It was freezing cold outside and there was the odd flurry of snow but David didn’t notice either; he had things on his mind.

“David?”

David looked up to see Angie standing infront of him. She looked cold, with her hands dug deep in her pockets and her collar turned up.

“Angie, what are you doing here?”

“I thought you could do with some company. I know you said you were fine but I know you better. I could tell you were upset.” Angie said, taking a seat next to him. “How’s Kristina?”

David looked down at the floor and shook his head.

“Not good. When I left Urs to call you, she’d just come out of surgery and I thought she was going to be fine.”

“And now?” Angie asked worriedly.

“The doctor came to see Urs. He told him that Krissy’s in a coma. They want to some tests and some sort of scan.”

Angie didn’t know what to say but she knew she had to be there with David. She took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. He smiled and then released her hand and slipped it in to his pocket, pulling out a lighter and a packet of cigarettes.

“David Miller.” Angie said, snatching the cigarettes from him. “You told me you quit.”

“I did.” David said quietly. “I have. But… today is… I just need one.”

“No you don’t.” Angie said, taking his hand. “You’ve gone this long without one, you’ll regret it if you ruin all your hard work now.”

“I don’t care, Angie. What if Krissy dies? It will all be my fault. Urs must hate me right now.”

“David where on earth is this coming from? Why are you talking like this? Of course Kristina’s not going to die. And I’m absolutely certain that Urs doesn’t blame any of this on you. Why would he?”

“Give him time.” David looked down at the ground. “When he has time to think about things, he’ll realize. It’s my fault. If I hadn’t talked Kristina in to going to the park, Urs wouldn’t have proposed and…”

“Urs proposed?” Angie whispered, cutting him off. “That man is full of surprises.”

David nodded and forced a smile.

“I think Urs surprised himself. It definitely was planned. But when he’d proposed, that’s when Krissy said she wanted to come back here and tell Abigail.”

“You can’t blame yourself for any of this, David. I bet Urs is probably feeling it’s his fault. He was the one that proposed. You just said it was because of the proposal that Kristina wanted to come back. But no one is to blame.”

“If I hadn’t gone to see Krissy, Urs would never have proposed. It all cames back to me; it’s my fault.”

“If you’re going to start questioning who’s to blame, then blame Kristina. She was the one that crossed the road. Or blame the driver; seeing as they were the one that hit her. Blame Urs for proposing. Blame Abigail for having the baby and being in hospital. It was an accident, David; pure and simple. And if this was the other way around, Urs would be telling you the exact same thing.”

David took hold of Angie’s hand and brought it up to his lips and kissed it gently. He loved her deeply and he knew she was only trying to comfort him; but it wasn't working and he felt sick with guilt.

***** CHAPTER 184 ****

It was now dawn and Kristina had been unconscious for eighteen hours; and Urs had been awake for over twenty four hours. He’d dozed off several times, getting a few minutes sleep but then he would wake up, clinging to Kristina’s hand, terrified that if he left her side he would lose her.

David gently shook Urs’s shoulder. He was asleep in the chair, resting his head on Kristina’s bed, his hand still entwined with hers.

“Urs?”

Urs didn’t move. David hated to wake him, now that he was finally getting some sleep but this was not the place to do it.

“Urs!” David said a little louder, and giving him another shake. This time he started to wake.

“What?” Urs said, looking slightly dazed as he looked around the room. “Krissy?”

“No change.” David said, kneeling beside him. “Why don’t you take a break and go and get some food. I can sit with her until you get back.”

“I’m not hungry.” Urs replied.

“Urs, you still need to eat. The nurse says you haven’t eaten a thing since I left. What good are you going to be to Krissy if you make yourself ill? You need to go home. You need to get some sleep.”

“I’m not leaving her.” Urs said, shaking his head. “I can sleep here.”

David got to his feet and stood next to Urs, who was still sitting beside Kristina.

“Urs, you need to shower and change your clothes. It makes sense to go home, get a good night’s sleep and come back in the morning. You’ll feel better for it.”

Urs looked up at David, with determination in his eyes.

“I’m not leaving her, David. I left Aimee and she… she… I’m staying here. I’m not losing Krissy too.”

Urs then looked back at Kristina. “She’s all I’ve got, David. We’ve been through so much to get this far, I can’t lose her now.”

“She’ll be fine.” David said reassuringly as he placed his hand on Urs’ shoulder. “She’s just sleeping while her body heals. Isn’t that what you told me? Give her time and she’ll wake up. Now please, go home. I’ll call you if anything happens.”

Urs looked round at David. His eyes were ringed with fatigue and red from crying.

“But what if something happens…”

“I promise, Urs. I won’t let anything happen to her. I’ll sit with her until you get back.”

Urs looked back at Kristina, lying motionless. She still looked so fragile, so helpless and defenseless. But his stomach was starting to rumble and he felt light headed.

“I’ll be five minutes. I’m coming straight back.”

“Okay. But just go! Take a break.” David said shooing him out of the room.

Urs left Kristina’s room and hurried down the hall. He wanted to make a quick visit to the bathroom to freshen up and then find the canteen and see what he could buy to take back with him. He didn’t plan on spending any more time than necessary away from Kristina. As he turned the corner, he almost walked straight in to a man and woman, who were also in a hurry. Urs glanced briefly at them as he apologized and carried on walking but took a second look as he passed them, thinking that the woman looked somehow familiar to him but couldn’t place her. Urs’ stomach rumbled again and his thoughts returned to food and getting back to Kristina and he hurried on.

*****************

“David?”

At hearing his name, David looked up and was shocked to see Kristina’s parents in the doorway. He hadn’t even thought to call them.

“Jenny? Michael?”

“David. What happened?” Jenny asked; rushing straight to him and hugging him tightly. “How is she? Carlos said there was some sort of accident.”

“Yes, a car… she just… ran straight out.” David said hugging her back and stuttering, as he turned to look down at Kristina.

“Oh… Kristina.” Jenny clasped a hand over her mouth, as tears clouded her eyes. “Look at her.” Jenny took a seat in the same chair that Urs had been sitting in just moments a go. “What has the doctor said? I want you to tell me everything.”

“Of course.” David said, walking over to Jenny and sitting on the edge of the bed. “She’s not long come out of surgery. Krissy had some internal bleeding but they said it went well and she’s stable. She’s also got some broken ribs and as you can see; a broken leg.”

“But what exactly happened?” Michael asked. “Has Kristina said? What was she thinking, running out in the road like that?”

David remained quiet. How did he tell them that Kristina hadn’t regained consciousness; that their daughter was in a coma and they didn’t know when she would wake?

“David?”

He looked at Jenny who was studying him and she had known him long enough to sense that something was wrong.

“What is it, David? What aren’t you telling us?”

“Krissy… Krissy hasn’t…”

The door then burst open and Urs came striding in to the room.

“I told you I wouldn’t… be… long.” Urs’ voice trailed off when he saw that Kristina had visitors.

He glanced at the couple and instantly recognised them as the couple that he had almost bumped in to earlier on. That’s why he thought the woman looked familiar; Kristina’s mother. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of it earlier; their features were so similar, the mouth, the blonde wavy hair, the striking blue eyes.

“Urs…” David said approaching him. He took the bottle of water and the sandwiches that Urs was holding and placed them on the cabinet by the door. “Let me introduce you.”

He then gently guided a nervous looking Urs towards her parents.

“This is Jenny and this is Michael; Krissy’s parents.” David then turned to look at them. “This is Urs.”

Urs held his hand out to Jenny but she surprised him by hugging him tightly.

“Hello Urs. I recognize you from your pictures.” Jenny pulled away and smiled at him. “Abigail doesn’t stop talking about Carlos and how proud she is of you and the others.”

Kristina’s father then stepped forward and held his hand out.

“I wish it was under different circumstances but it’s a pleasure to meet you son.”

“And you Sir.” Urs replied, as he shook his hand.

“Let’s get one thing straight. Calling me Sir is like calling Bush ‘smart’. It’s just plain wrong. So please, call me Michael.”

“Okay. Michael it is.” Urs laughed nervously. “I wasn’t aware that David had called you. He never mentioned it.”

“I didn’t call them.” David informed them.

“So who did?” Urs asked, looking at Michael and then Jenny.

“Carlos phoned us to let us know about Abigail going in to labour.” Michael told him, slipping an arm around Jenny’s shoulder. “We booked a flight out. We’ve only just arrived and that’s when Abigail told us about Kristina. So we came straight here.”

“David… before Urs arrived, you were about to say something.” Jenny reminded him. “What were you going to tell us? Is it to do with Kristina?”

Urs looked at David, wondering what it was that he was about to tell Jenny and Michael.

David pointed to the chair in the corner.

“Perhaps it’s best if you sit down, Jenny.”

Jenny’s soft blue eyes gave him a worried look, but she did as he suggested and Michael carefully sat on the edge of the bed.

Slipping his hands in to his pockets, David moved to stand at the end of the bed and took a deep breath.

“There’s no easy of way of saying this but…” David paused; he couldn’t bring himself to say the words. He still blamed himself for Kristina’s accident and he was sure Urs would eventually blame him too. But what if Jenny and Michael also blamed him? “Krissy hasn’t woken up yet because…”

Urs stepped forward and placed his hand on David’s shoulder.

“Mrs Sanders. The doctor said that Krissy has quite a serious head injury and… and that’s why she hasn’t woken up yet.”

“She hasn’t woken up?” Michael muttered. “But… you said she’d just come out of surgery. I thought she was still sleeping from the anaesthetic.”

Urs slowly shook his head. It suddenly dawned on Jenny what David and Urs were trying to tell them.

“Are you telling me that Kristina is in a coma?” she said somberly.

“Yes.” Urs continued. “The doctor wants to do some tests and some sort of scan. I think it was a CCT scan.”

Jenny didn’t say another word. She slowly turned to look at Kristina, and gently stroked her hair.

David caught Urs’ attention and nodded towards the door.

“We’ll leave you two alone. You probably want to spend some time with Krissy.”

Urs looked horrified at David’s suggestion but he couldn’t deny Jenny and Michael the chance to spend time with their daughter and give them some privacy. He approached Kristina and bent down and gently kissed her. His lips lingered on her cheek, not wanting to leave her but knowing he had to. He stood up and turned to leave.

“Thank you David. And you, Urs.” Jenny said, taking his hand as he walked past her. “Thank you for sitting with her.”

Urs smiled, unable to say anything as he tried to swallow back the tears. David and Urs left the room, quietly closing the door behind them.

“You ok?” David asked; when they were outside in the corridor. Urs nodded but still didn’t speak. “Want to get out of here and go get something to eat?”

“I told you, I’m not leaving her.” Urs said, finally finding his voice. “I’m not leaving this hospital. This is as far as I go.”

***** CHAPTER 185 *****

Abigail lay in her hospital bed, staring towards the window, wondering if her sister would ever wake up. When Carlos had told Abigail about the accident, she had been frantic, wanting to see her but the nurse had made her wait, saying she needed rest. But it had only upset Abigail even more and in the end they had no other choice but to let her see her sister. She simply couldn’t believe that Kristina had just run out in to the road like that, not even bothering to look. Something or someone had to have been the cause. Abigail kept thinking back to the photo she had received and wondered if it had something to do with Kristina’s accident. Maybe it was a warning. But from who? And why? Again, Brian’s name sprung to mind. Perhaps it was a warning to her because she had left him and she knew the consequences if he ever found her. What if he sent another warning? What if something happened to Carlos next time? Or even Eliana. She had to tell him about her suspicions but would he think her crazy? It didn’t matter, she had to tell him; she could let anything happen to her family, especially now they had a daughter to care for.

“Abby?”

Abigail turned over to see Carlos standing in the doorway. He smiled when he saw she was awake and entered the room.

“I checked in on Kristina earlier.” He said closing the door, and taking a seat next to Abigail. “Your mum and dad are still with her.”

“And?”

Carlos shook his head.

“Still no change.”

“It doesn’t look good, does it?” Abigail frowned. “The longer she stays like that….”

“You’ve got to have faith, Abby.” Carlos said, squeezing her hand. “There’s always a chance that she’ll wake up, and soon.”

“Do you think she’ll ever wake up?” Abigail asked him.

“Yes… eventually.” Carlos said truthfully. “I believe she will.”

Abigail smiled but her smile soon disappeared.

“Carlos, there’s something I need to tell you and you’re probably going to think I’ve gone mad but… I don’t think Kristina’s accident was actually an accident.”

“You’re not making sense.” Carlos frowned as he sat down on the side of the bed.

“They said she just ran out in to the road but… I think she might have been pushed.” Abigail replied.

“Pushed? Why on earth would you think that?” Carlos asked, utterly confused as to why Abigail would think such a thing.

“I didn’t want to worry you because you’ve been so busy lately but I’ve been getting a lot of phone calls. I don’t know who from because they never say anything; they always hang up. And then a few days ago, I received something in the post; a photo. It was of me and Kristina from when we went shopping recently, and someone had drawn a big cross over the image of my face.”

Carlos was clearly shocked at what Abigail was telling him and moved closer to her, gently squeezing her hand.

“That means someone has been following you. Abby, you should’ve told me as soon as you started getting the calls. I might be busy but I’m never too busy when it comes to your safety. But… have you any idea who sent it?”

Carlos seemed reluctant in asking the question; almost if he already knew the answer.

“It’s going to sound insane and I don’t know how he’s found me but I think it might be Brian.”

Carlos didn’t answer, he simply nodded. The same thought had crossed his mind.

“I didn’t want to worry you.” Abigail continued. “I thought it might just be kids playing about with the strange phone calls but then I got the picture and now this… I’m just worried something else will happen. That’s why I’m telling you this now.”

Carlos thought back to the time when he had aired his suspicions to Sebastien about Brian being involved in Mrs Lavelle’s death and despite the police not having anything to suggest that he was involved, Carlos knew that there was a chance it was Brian who killed her. Again, it could be Brian that was making the phone calls and sending Abigail photos.

“I’m sure you’re worrying about nothing, Abby. It could be someone’s sick idea of a joke but just to be sure, I’ll see what I can find out.”

“Thank you Carlos.” Abigail smiled, and let out a small sigh of relief. She already felt better for telling Carlos and felt safer in the knowledge that he knew.

************************************

It must’ve been late afternoon before Jenny and Michael finally came out of Kristina’s room, much to Urs’ relief. He had been sitting on one of the chairs in the family room, waiting until they left; and they weren’t the most comfortable of seats. He’d already spent several hours sitting on similar seats when they got the call that Abigail had gone in to labour.

Earlier that afternoon, the doctor had been in to see Jenny and Michael with Kristina’s test results. Urs had waited patiently outside and spoke to Dr Mills afterwards. He wasn’t sure he could hide his emotions if it was bad news and so he waited to speak to the Doctor alone. Dr Mills had told him that there was some slight swelling on her brain, but nothing that indicated any brain injury and once the swelling had gone down, she would make a full recovery. But they wouldn’t know if her eyesight had been affected until she woke, and even when the swelling went down, there was still no guarantee if or when she would wake up.

The biggest worry for Doctor Mills though was Kristina’s kidneys. He was concerned that Kristina’s creatinine levels had risen slightly since the accident. Urs instantly assumed the worst, thinking it meant another kidney transplant. He tried to put Urs’ mind at rest by telling him that hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. The increase was only slight, so it might be that only a small amount of damage was done to her kidneys and that given time they would heal themselves but for now it would mean putting Kristina on dialysis for a little while. Urs closed his eyes, willing himself not to cry as he thought about the conversation with Doctor Mills and wondered how Kristina would take the news, if she ever woke up.

“And if Krissy’s kidneys don’t heal by themselves?” he had asked.

“If they don’t heal, then yes, it would mean being on dialysis permanently.”

“I want to be tested. I want to see if I can be a donor.”

“Mr Buhler, I think you’re jumping the gun a little. It might not come to that. There might not be any need for a transplant. Dialysis would still be a possibility if the damage isn’t extensive.”

“No. It would destroy her if she had to go back on dialysis. I want to be tested.”

“Well, ideally it would be a relative or a sibling that’s why we always test the family first.”

“Krissy’s sister has already donated. So can I be tested? Today?”

“Mr Buhler, please, it’s not that simple. You would need to fill in a questionnaire. After that you would need to see someone for an evaluation and then a very comprehensive medical. There are all sorts of tests involved and counselling. This can take several weeks.”

“Great. The sooner we get started the better. Who do I need to see to get one of these forms?”

Dr Mills had finally given in and went with Urs to get the relevant forms and some reading material so that he would know what he was letting himself in for, if it came to it. Urs knew that Kristina couldn’t handle dialysis again; he’d seen how it affected her so that’s why he had to do this.

“You’re still here?”

Urs was brought back from his thoughts and looked up to see Jenny now standing infront of him. He looked over her shoulder to see Michael a few yards away on a pay phone.

“I would’ve thought you’d gone home and got some sleep.” Jenny continued.

“No, I… I wanted to see if there was any change with Krissy first.” Urs said, getting to his feet and nervously scratching his head. “How is she?”

“There’s still no change.” Jenny gave a small sigh. “But the doctor came round earlier and he seems pleased with her condition.

“That sounds promising.” Urs smiled, as he slipped his hands in to his jeans pockets. “Are you both leaving now?”

“Yes, Michael’s just calling Carlos to let him know we’re on our way.” Jenny replied. “Carlos has said we can stay with him tonight. Then tomorrow we’ll probably book in to a hotel or maybe stay at Kristinas.”

Urs wondered if he should tell Michael and Jenny about the attack on Kristina. They were bound to find out sooner or later, but thankfully the front door had been repaired and there was no sign of a fight ever happening. Urs knew this definitely was not the time to tell them but he would have to soon as no doubt the police would be in touch about pressing charges and going to court.

“So is it okay if I… you know. Go in and see Krissy now?” Urs asked, warily.

“Go ahead.” Jenny smiled. “But one more thing, Urs.”

“Yes?”

“You look tired. Make sure you go home and get some rest. Please.”

Urs nodded and smiled. As much as he liked Kristina’s parents, he had no intention of going home; atleast not until Kristina woke. Urs said goodbye to Jenny and when she joined Michael, they waved goodbye and he waved back. As soon as they were out of sight, he headed straight back to Kristina’s room.

***** CHAPTER 186 *****

When Abigail woke, she turned over to see that one of the nurses had left more cards on the bedside cabinet, along with stuffed toys, balloons and yet more vases of flowers. The room was already full of flowers and cards; the biggest card being from Carlos, the biggest bouquet of flowers was from Carlos and again, the biggest stuffed toy was also from Carlos. It was a huge white fluffy teddy bear, about 5ft tall, and it had a big pink ribbon tied around its neck. Abigail didn’t know where they were going to put everything when they got home. She was allowed to leave hospital today and was looking forward to going home and sleeping in her own bed. But it meant leaving Eliana, as she was still in an incubator; so Abigail was a little reluctant to leave.

Picking up the bundle of cards, Abigail eagerly started to sort through them. When she and Carlos were able to take Eliana home, they would have to think about writing some thank you cards for all the messages and gifts they had received.

Half way through sorting out the cards, Abigail paused as she looked across at the bedside table and noticed a small white box which she hadn’t spotted until now. Underneath it was an envelope. Abigail decided to leave the cards for now and open the gift instead. She knew that Carlos wouldn’t mind if she opened just this one gift on her own. Abigail placed the cards on the bed and picked up the box and the envelope and then froze. There was nothing special about it, it was just a plain white envelope; her name neatly written in black ink. But there was no mistaking it. It had been over five years but she recognised the handwriting on the envelope immediately; it was Brian’s.

A hundred questions raced through her head but she didn’t have answers for any of them. How did Brian know where to find her? When did he find her? Was he here in London? Could he have had something to do with Kristina’s accident? Where was Carlos? Was Eliane safe? Abigail didn’t even bother to open the envelope or the small white box. She got out of bed and quickly slipped on some clothes, before hurrying off to the Nursery Intensive Care Unit to see if Carlos was with Eliana. When she got there she spotted Carlos straight away, sitting in a chair next to Eliana.

“Carlos? Is she ok?” Abigail asked when she got nearer to them.

“Abby? What are you doing out of bed? You should be resting?”

“I’m fine. Is she okay?” Abigail asked him again, her eyes brimming with tears.

“She’s fine. She’s sleeping soundly.” Carlos could see the look of concern on Abigail’s face but couldn’t understand why she was so worried. Abigail knew that she was being cared for. “Why are you upset? Did you have a bad dream?”

Abigail looked up at him and shook her head, as she spoke in a whisper.

“More like a nightmare. It’s Brian… he’s found me.”

“Brian? But… how?” Carlos mumbled. “Are you sure?”

“I was just going through the cards that the nurse left… I recognised his hand writing.”

“What did the card say?” Carlos asked.

“I don’t know… I didn’t open it. As soon as I saw it was from him, I came up here to check on Eliana.”

“You don’t seriously think that he would harm her do you?” Carlos frowned.

“I don’t know…” Abigail mumbled. “But I’m not going to risk it.”

Carlos didn’t know Brian, but he knew of the violence he had shown Abigail and how scared she was of him. He also knew that he had once considered him a murderer after Mrs Lavelle had died suddenly, so he could understand why Abigail was so wary of him.

“Okay, well… I’ll have a word with the nurse and see how much longer Eliana has to stay here. Until then, we’ll stay with here together where I can keep an eye on you both.”

“I just can’t understand how he found me.” Abigail commented, as she walked over to where Carlos was standing. “But… do you think it was him? Do you think he had something to do with Kristina’s accident?”

“I don’t know… it does seem a bit odd.” Carlos said thoughtfully. “Maybe I should have a word with the police too. I could explain the situation to them and maybe they could question the driver again and see if he remembers anything else.”

Abigail let out a heavy sigh as she rested her head against his chest.

“I knew it was just a matter of time until he found me. And now that he has…”

“Don’t worry, Abby. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” Carlos told her, as he wrapped her tightly in his arms. “I won’t let Brian anywhere near you.”

“But I’m scared, Carlos.” Abigail replied. “You haven’t seen him when he’s angry. Can’t we just take Eliana now? Can’t we just get on a plane and go somewhere that he’ll never find us? Perhaps we could go back to Spain and stay with your parents for a while.”

“Abby, there’s no need to panic.” Carlos smiled. “Why don’t you go back to your room and freshen up, pack your things and have something to eat. I’ll have a word with the nurse and explain things to her. At least if they know he’s around, they can keep a look out for anyone asking after you or Eliana. If it is Brian, that’s exactly what he’s trying to do; to scare you. But you have no need to be scared, not while I’m here.”

“Okay. I won’t be long. I’ll come straight back.” Abigail kissed him, and said goodbye to Eliana.

As Abigail made her way back to her room she was constantly looking out for Brian. She was afraid she would bump in to him at every corner, she was even convinced that she saw him sitting in the corridor on her way back but as she got nearer she realized it wasn’t him; it was just her eyes playing tricks on her.

Closing the door behind her, Abigail picked up her wash bag and was about to head to the bathroom freshen up, like Carlos had suggested when she glanced at the card and the small box still laying on the bed. Now that she was over initial shock of Brian contacting her, she found herself growing curious as to what the card said and what was in the box. She wasn’t at all surprised after opening the card to find that it was blank. Once again, he was playing his stupid mind games. He knew that she would recognize the handwriting so there was no need for him to write anything inside the card. Carlos was right; Brian was just trying to scare her. Well, it wasn’t going to work. Not anymore. She was stronger than ever since meeting Carlos. She wasn’t going to let anyone, least of all Brian, ruin her happiness. Abigail picked up the box and was going to throw it in the bin but again, she was curious to know what was inside it. She half expected it to be empty again, especially when she first opened it and all she could see was layers of tissue paper. But as she lifted the tissue paper out something fell on to the floor. Abigail bent down and looked under the bed, to see what it was. She could just about see it under the bed and reached out to grasp it in her hand and then stood up to take a closer look. Abigail gasped in horror when she realized what it was; a bullet with her name engraved along the side.

“I see you got my gift.”

Abigal inhaled sharply, as she turned around at the sound of a voice; Brian’s voice.

***** CHAPTER 187 *****


“Brian. How… how did you find me?” Abigail finally asked, in disbelief.

“Now that’s a good question. Money and determination only got me so far. But it was you that led me to London in the end.”

“Me?” she whispered. “But how?”

“You don’t know?” Brian raised an eyebrow in surprise, as he opened a magazine, and folded it in half before throwing it on the bed next to her. “In that case, let’s just say that I had some unexpected help.”

Abigail cautiously picked up the magazine, and scanned the pages. The frown on her face made it clear that she now understood how he had found her and she agreed; it was all down to her. It was her own fault that he was standing here now and that she had put her family at risk. There was an interview on Il Divo from a few months back when they were filming the video for Mama in Italy. Alongside the interview, there was a still picture from the video showing Carlos; and Abigail was standing behind him.

“That’s what your fifteen minutes of fame gets you, honey. You never did have much sense; I always knew it was just a matter of time until you slipped up. You’re so predictable.”

“That still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here now.” Abigail said calmly, trying to compose herself as she threw the magazine down on the bed.

“I’m here for you, of course. I’ve come to take you home. I want you to admit that you still love me and that you regret leaving me.”

“You can’t be serious.” Abigail said, staring at him in astonishment.

“Oh but I am. Deadly.” He said in a calm voice. “I always said I would never let you go. You were mine, forever. I was good to you. I gave you everything you ever needed. You didn’t have to work; I gave you a roof over your head. I took care of you. And then I come home to find you’ve left me? I didn’t deserve any of that.”

“You’ve completely lost your mind, Brian.” Abigail scoffed. “You made my life a living hell and treated me like a punch bag. But it’s been five years. I don’t love you anymore and I don’t have to put up with your behaviour anymore. My home is here and I’m a married woman with a family now.”

“You think that’s going to make a difference?” he sneered at her, as he took a step towards her.

“Don’t come any closer.” She said, as she stepped away from him and backed in to the bed. “You have to leave.”

“Sorry; can’t do that. We’re playing by my rules now.”

“Rules? You think this is a game? Grow up, Brian. Get it through your thick skull. I don’t love you anymore and I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“You will if I say so.” Brian said quietly. “Unless you want something… unfortunate… to happen to your family. By the way, how is Kristina?”

“If I find out you had anything to do with her accident…”

“Oh give me some credit.” Brian laughed. “I’m not a complete barbarian.”

“Are you sure about that?” Abigail said gravely. “Or have you forgotten what you did to me?”

“If I hit you, it was only because you deserved it.” He spat.

“Deserved it? What did I do to justify broken ribs, black eyes and broken bones? Did I iron your shirts the wrong way? Was dinner not ready on the table when you got home? Or did I buy the wrong kind of coffee?”

“Get your things. We’re leaving.” Brian told her, choosing to ignore her comment.

“I’ve already told you once, I’m not going anywhere with you. Just go; and take this with you.” Abigail picked up the bullet and threw it at Brian who caught it perfectly in one hand. “If you think you can control me with your little scare tactics, then you can think again.”

Brian slowly walked towards Abigail again and opened his jacket to reveal a gun tucked in to the waistband of his trousers.

“Don’t think I won’t use it.” Brian murmured, stopping just inches from her. “I’ve always told you what would happen if you ever left me. Abigail.” He then held up the bullet infront of her face. “So let’s just call this a little reminder.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” Abigail whispered.

Brian put his hand over his heart and pouted at her.

“Sorry to disappoint you but I’m not really known for being the good guy and playing by the rules, honey. You should know that by now.”

Abigail did her best to show that she wasn’t scared, that she wasn’t the weak woman that he used to know.

“You’re mad if you think you’re going to get away with this.” she said calmly. “I’m a married woman now. I have a husband that loves me and when he realizes I’m missing he’s going to come looking for me. And when he does, when he gets his hands on you he…”

“Ah shut it.” Brian suddenly snapped as he grabbed her arm, yanking her towards him and making her yelp in pain. “I don’t wanna hear what your big brave husband is going to do to me when he finds me. He won’t last two seconds when I aim this at him and pull the trigger.”

He pushed her back to the bed.

“Now get your things. It’s time to go.”

Brian turned to open the door, and while he had his back to her, Abigail quickly picked up one of the vases of flowers with the intention of hitting Brian with it. But he was too quick for her and put his hand up in defence, knocking it from her. It crashed to the ground, water went everywhere and roses were scattered all over the floor. Abigail made a move for the door but again Brian was too quick for her and back handed her so hard across the face, that she fell back on the bed dazed. Before Abigail knew what had happened, Brian was standing over her with his hand around her throat and a gun pointed at her temple.

“I’m not going to give you any more warnings, Abigail. You try that again, and I swear I’ll kill you. Do you hear me?”

With his hand still around her throat and the gun pointed at her head, Abigail gave a small nod.

“Now are you going to co-operate?”

“Do I have a choice?” she managed to say in a whisper.

“Not really, no.” Brian replied. He then released his hand from her throat and stood back but still had the gun aimed at her. “Get your coat and whatever else you need because you’re not coming back. And as soon as we step outside this room, I don’t want to hear a single word from you. Got it?”

Abigail looked at the gun. This was a side of Brian she had never seen before but she knew that Brian was serious, and that he would use the gun. She couldn’t risk any one getting hurt, this was all her doing. If she could get out of the hospital and away from Carlos and Eliana, at least she knew they would be safe. Only then could Abigail think about making her escape.

Abigail nodded.

“Good girl. Now let’s go.”

Abigail put her coat on and picked up her bag. Brian followed her out the room, with one arm around her shoulder and his other arm hidden inside his jacket, with the gun aimed at Abigail’s waist. They made it down to the ground floor and in to the car park without being stopped or recognised by anyone. Now that no one else was around, Brian grabbed Abigail roughly by the arm and practically frog marched her over to a car parked in the far corner. He took the car keys out of his pocket and aimed it at the car. It beeped once and the lights flashed as the alarm was turned off.

“Get in the car.” Brian told as, pushing her towards it.

“Where are we going?”

“You don’t need to know yet.” He replied, handing her the keys. “Just get in and start the engine.”

***** CHAPTER 188 *****

Carlos looked at his watch; Abigail had been gone almost forty five minutes and he was starting to get anxious. He knew he was probably worrying about nothing, but after seeing how distressed Abigail was, he couldn’t understand what was taking her so long.

After letting one of the nurses know that he was leaving, Carlos went in search of Abigail. On opening the door to her room, the first thing he saw was the broken vase on the floor, water everywhere and roses scattered about the place. He quickly checked the bathroom to see if Abigail was there and then noticed that her jacket was no longer hanging up on the door and her bag had gone from the bedside cabinet. Where on earth had she gone? What could be so important that she would leave and not tell him? Perhaps she had left a message with one of the nurses, or gone to see Kristina and her parents. But why take her bag and coat? Carlos headed straight for the nurses station but no one had seen or heard from Abigail. So Carlos made his next stop at Kristina’s room. He paused at the door, wondering what he would say because he didn’t want to worry her parents unnecessarily; they had enough to think about at the moment.

Carlos opened the door and entered the room with a smile on his face. He was in luck; Sebastien was there, along with Laura, Michael and Jenny.

“Seb, can I see you for a minute?”

“Sure.” Sebastien got up from his seat.

“Everything ok?” Michael asked.

“Yes, fine. I just need a quick word. Nothing important.”

Carlos smiled and nodded at Laura, Michael and Jenny and went back in to the hallway.

“What’s wrong, Carlos?” Sebastien asked when they were outside.

“I didn’t want to say anything infront of the others but it’s Abby. She’s missing.”

“What do you mean ‘missing’?”

“She’s gone. I can’t find her anywhere. And her coat and bag are missing too.”

“So where is she?”

“That’s just it. I have no idea. I checked with the nurses but no one has seen her. I went back to the room and there was a broken vase on the floor and water everywhere.”

“Well maybe she’s gone to get help to clean it up.” Sebastien suggested.

“And she needed her coat and bag to do that?”

“You’ve got a point.” Sebastien sighed. “Have you tried calling her?”

“I hadn’t thought of that.” Carlos frowned. He quickly took his mobile out of his pocket and switched it on.

“I’m sorry sir but you can’t use that in here.” A nurse told him, when she saw him with the phone. “You’ll have to go outside.”

Carlos apologised and headed downstairs with Sebastien.

“I’m sure she’s fine.” Sebastien said reassuringly when he saw the look of worry of Carlos’ face. “I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation.”

“I wish I could believe that but I haven’t told you everything.” Carlos said, looking up at Sebastien as he pressed the speed dial button for Abigails mobile. “It’s Brian…. He knows Abby’s here.”

“Are you sure?”

Carlos nodded, with the phone to his ear.

“Yes. Abby told me earlier on, not long before she disappeared. She was sorting through the cards and recognised his handwriting on one of them.”

“How did he find her?” Sebastien raked his fngers through his hair.

“I have no idea. But now you can understand why I’m so worried. She’s disappeared and no one has seen her. It’s just not like her to go off and not tell me, especially when she was so worried about Eliana.”

“Any joy on the phone?”

“No, it’s just ringing and ringing and now gone to voicemail.”

“So what do we do now?”

“I think we should call the police.”

“You don’t think that’s a little drastic?”

“What else do you suggest?”

“Well, what do we tell them?”

“We tell them that she’s missing, we tell them about Brian and… and just hope they take us seriously.”

“And what do we tell Michael and Jenny?” Sebastien asked.

“I guess we tell them the truth.” Carlos sighed. “They need to know and they’ll figure out something’s wrong sooner or later. What do I tell them when they ask where she is? No, I can’t lie. I know they’re worried about Kristina but I can’t keep something like this from them. They deserve to know.”

*********************

“Where are we going?” Abigail asked as she put on her seatbelt and started up the engine.

“When you get to the exit, turn right.” Brian told her. “Just keep going and stick to the main road.”

Abigails mobile then started to ring. Before Abgail got the chance, Brian quickly grabbed her bag from the back seat and took out her mobile.

“Looks like your husband wants to talk you.” Brian switched off the mobile and slipped it in to his back pocket.

“You still haven’t told me where we’re going.” Abigail said calmly. She couldn’t let Brian see that he was scaring her.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” Brian said, glancing around the car park and making sure no one was following them.

Abigail did as she was told and headed for the exit and turned right on to the main road. As they drove out of London and on to the motorway, Abigail found the questions in her head were only multiplying. What did he want? Where were they going? Was he going to beat her? Kill her? Would she get the chance to escape? Could she talk sense in to him and let her go willingly? Abigail knew that Brian wouldn’t answer any of them. He would make her wait; make her come up with her own answers, draw her own conclusions as to what was going to happen next. Abigail kept glancing at the passing road signs; for the last few miles all she had seen were signs for Farnborough airport, a private airport.

“Take the next exit.” Brian instructed her. Abigail looked at the sign indicating the exit Brian was referring to; again it was another sign for Farnborough Airport.

“We’re going to the airport?” Abigail said, prodding for answer. “Don’t I need a passport?”

“All taken care of.” Brian said, patting his jacket pocket.

“You have my passport?” Abigail asked, wondering how on earth he had gotten hold of it.

“Not exactly yours.” Brian shrugged. “I had to apply for a passport in your name, just tick the box that says lost, stick your picture on the application form, sign it and hey presto.”

Abigail couldn’t believe it was that easy to apply for a new passport in someone elses name but obviously Brian had it all planned. There was no way she could get on that plane. She had to put an end to this and now. Without warning Abigail yanked the steering wheel to the left and the car swerved across the road on to the hard shoulder.

“What the hell?” Brian yelled as he tried to take control of the steering wheel. “Are you trying to kill us both?”

“Only you.” Abigail thought to herself. She released her grip on the steering wheel and let it spin through her hands as Brian yanked the steering wheel to the right, to get back on to the motorway. Just as Brian thought he had it under control, Abigail yanked it back again and this time she put her foot down on the accelerator as they headed straight for the hard shoulder once more. This time it was too late for Brian to do anything as the car swerved on to the hard shoulder and then tipped on to its side as it went over the edge. Abigail closed her eyes as the car rolled over and over. The windows shattered and a hundred pieces of glass tumbled on to her face before the car landed upright just before it collided with a large tree at the bottom of the ditch. Abigail could hear the hissing of the radiator and the distant commotion of voices from the road above before it all went black.

***** CHAPTER 189 *****


“And if you can get hold of a recent picture of your wife that would be a great help.” Officer Hamlyn told Carlos.

“Yes, yes of course.” Carlos nodded vigorously. He then pulled out his wallet. “I have one here. It was taken a few weeks ago. Is this ok?”

Carlos handed the photo to him.

“Yes, it’s fine.”

“Is there any thing else you need? Or is there something I can do?”

“Not at the moment, sir. But I’ll be sure to keep you informed as soon as we find out anything.”

“So what happens now?” Sebastien asked.

“I’ll get this photo circulated, so we can keep a look out for her. In the meantime, I have an officer down with security. They’re going through the video footage of the hospital now.”

“And what good will that do?” Carlos asked.

“Well if this Brian fellow was involved in your wifes disappearance, we can atleast figure out what time they left and how far they could’ve got and even how he arrived. He might have arrived by car; in that case we can check out the car park footage and we can get the reg and put out an APB for him.”

“Ok… thanks.” Carlos smiled nervously.

“I’ve got all I need for the moment so I’ll get started. I’ll be in touch but if you need me here’s my number.”

The officer handed his card to Carlos and then shook hands with him and Sebastien before heading down the hallway.

“Oh, God.” Carlos muttered, as he sank down on to a chair and hung his head in his hands. “If anything's happened to her, I'll never forgive myself.”

“Carlos, don’t do this to yourself.” Sebastien said, placing a hand on his shoulder as he sat down beside him. “It’s not your fault.”

“Of course it is. What sort of a husband am I, Seb? I promised Abigail I wouldn’t let Brian anywhere near her.”

“You’re a great husband, Carlos and don’t let anyone tell you any different. You’ve done everything in your power to keep Abigail safe. If it wasn’t for you she would still be with him. She could even be…”

Sebastien stopped when he realized what he was about to say.

“Dead?” Carlos finished for him. “She could be dead now and it would all be my fault.”

“You’re wrong, Carlos. Abigail’s going to be just fine. The police will find her and she’ll be just fine.”
Carlos then got to his feet.

“Where are you going?” Sebastien asked.

“I need to tell Jenny and Michael what’s happened. They need to know.”

“I’ll come with you.” Sebastien quickly got to his feet. “Looks like you could do with a friend.”

Carlos gave a gentle smile and slowly made the walk to Kristina’s room.

**********************

“I need to pop to the Gents. Anyone one want a tea or coffee while I’m gone?” Urs offered to David, Michael and Jenny as he got up from his chair beside Kristina’s bed.

Although Urs still hadn’t been home to get any sleep, every now and then he found the courage to leave Kristina’s bedside. David was gradually making progress in convincing him to leave the room, even though it was only to get coffee from down the corridor. Now all he had to do was to convince him to leave the hospital.

“Not for me thanks.” David replied.

“Jenny?”

“No thank you, Urs. Anymore and I’ll burst.”

“I’m fine thanks.” Michael replied. “But I think I’ll come with you. I could do with a walk. I need to stretch my legs aswell. I’m getting so stiff sitting in these chairs.”

Michael and Urs headed off together and left David and Jenny with Kristina.

“David, now we’re alone, do you think we can talk?” Jenny said cautiously.

“Sure. What’s wrong, Jenny?”

“Is there something that you want to tell me? About you and Kristina.”

“Me and Kristina?” David looked puzzled. “No, I… I don’t think so.”

“The ring?”

“Ring? What ring?” David asked.

“Kristina’s ring.” Jenny replied.

David suddenly went quiet. He’d forgotten all about the ring; Kristina’s engagement ring. It never occurred to him to mention Kristina’s engagement or that Jenny or Michael would notice it and start asking questions.

“Are you and Kristina together again?” Jenny asked him; a smile appearing on her face for the first time in a long time. “I was so saddened when Kristina told me you two had split up. Me and Michael were convinced you two would eventually get married. And I’ve noticed that when she’s been phoning just recently, she sounds almost like her old self, so much happier. But now you’re back together and oh, we can start planning the wedding she wakes up. Have you set a date? Wait until I tell Michael, he’ll…”

“Jenny! Stop! Please. You’ve got it all wrong.” David interrupted her. As much as he hated to disappoint her, he couldn’t let her carry on. “Me and Kristina, we’re just friends. Nothing more.”

“But the ring… it’s an engagement ring, isn’t it?” Jenny stuttered.

“Yes. It is. But I didn’t give her that ring. It’s not mine, Jenny.”

“Well, whose is it?”

“It’s mine.” Urs murmured, suddenly appearing in the doorway.

“Yours?” Jenny said quietly.

Urs slowly nodded his head and his stomach started to churn.

“You… and Kristina?” Jenny mumbled. “Together? I… I don’t understand. She… she loves David.”

“It’s my ring, Mrs Sanders. I asked Krissy to marry me and she said yes. I'm sorry but she loves me not David.”

A long silence seemed to stretch on forever. The churning in Urs’ stomach intensified and he ran his fingers through his hair, wishing he had kept quiet. Now was not the time to be dropping bombshells like this.

“I think I should leave and let you two talk in private.” David said quietly, before quickly slipping out of the room.

“But… But why she hasn’t told me any of this.” Jenny mumbled in disbelief. “Kristina’s never talked about you in that way. I mean… she mentioned that you’d gone with her to some of her hospital appointments but I always assumed you were just friends.”

“We were but…” Urs paused, not sure how much he should tell Jenny.

“But what?” Jenny prompted him.

“Mrs Sanders…”

“Jenny.”

“Jenny.” Urs smiled. “I’m not sure exactly what she’s told you about our… relationship but… me and Krissy, we met several years ago. It was only when the group was formed that we met again and we… we…”

Urs blushed. He wasn’t used to explaining his feelings to people; least of all his future mother in law, who he’d only just met.

“That’s when you started seeing each other?”

Urs gave a small laugh when he thought about everything they’d been through to get this far.

“It wasn’t quite as simple as that but that’s when things started to change between us.” Urs then took on a grave tone. “In fact, we only got together the day before the accident.”

“The day before? So when did you propose?”

“On the day of the accident.” Urs replied.

“After one day and you… Excuse me if I sound a little skeptical, but isn’t this all a bit sudden?”

“I understand that it might seem that way but we’ve been through a lot to get this far. Believe me; we’re not rushing in to this.”

Urs stared at Jenny inquisitively, trying to work out what she was thinking but her face was expressionless. Now really wasn’t the right time to be talking about this but he could understand Jenny wanting to know more about the man that her daughter intended on marrying.

“Do you mind if I sit with Kristina for a while. Alone.” Jenny replied. “With everything that’s happened I just want to be on my own.”

“Of course.” Urs said quietly. He knew that this must have come as a great shock to Jenny but he was hoping that she would be pleased for them. Perhaps it was just too much to take in right now. She just needed time. “I’ll wait outside.”

Jenny didn’t say a word as Urs left the room; she just sat staring at Kristina.

While Urs was standing outside Kristina’s room, he saw Carlos, David, Michael and Sebastien approaching. He smiled when he saw them but none of them smiled back. Infact they looked distraught. What on earth had happened?

“Is everything ok?” Urs asked when they were nearer.

“No… it’s Abigail.” Carlos said quietly.

“Has something happened to her?”

“We’re not sure.” Sebastien replied. “It’s…”

Sebastien then looked at Carlos, not sure how much Urs knew or what to tell him.

“It’s a long story.” Carlos sighed. “But… Abigail. She went missing. The police have been out looking for her.”

“Missing? I don’t understand.” Urs frowned. “How can she go missing?”

“I can’t explain it now.” Carlos said, almost choking on the tears which were now stuck in his throat. “But they think they’ve found her and…”

Carlos shook his head, unable to continue and went to take a seat.

“Michael? Do you know what’s going on?”

“There’s been a report of an accident not far from here.” Michael replied. “Female driver with a male passenger.”

“Is it Abigail?” Urs asked. “And who’s the male?”

“We’re not sure if it’s her yet.” Sebastien replied. “As for the male… we think it might be Brian, Abigails ex.”

“Nasty piece of work.” Michael said, curling his lip up in disgust. “If he’s laid a finger on her…”

“So when will you know if its her for definite?” Urs asked.

“We’re just waiting to hear back from Officer Hamlyn. But the description does seem to match Abigail. They’ve been checking the hospital video footage and they now know she left by car. So they’ve got the registration of the car and they’re just checking it against the vehicle that was involved in the accident.”

“Do you know if they’re ok? Are they hurt?” Urs asked.

“Officer Hamlyn only has a few sketchy details at the moment.” Michael replied.

Urs noticed how his face suddenly turned a ghostly white.

“We don’t know who, but one is in critical condition. They don’t think they’ll make it.”

**** CHAPTER 190 *****

“Miss, can you hear me?”

Abigail slowly opened her eyes to see a paramedic kneeling beside the car.

“She’s alive.” The paramedic called out as he got to his feet. “What do you need me to do?”

“Just keep her still and make sure she’s well covered.” Someone replied.

Abigail tried to move but there was a shooting pain all the way down her leg that prevented her.

“Miss, can you hear me?” He asked again.

Abigail’s eyes fluttered open to see the paramedic kneeling beside her again and gave a whisper of acknowledgement.

“What’s your name miss?”

“Abigail. Abigail Marin.” She mumbled.

“Well Abigail, my name’s Darren. We need to get you out of here but we can’t get to you properly. So the fire service are going to cut the roof off the car. Now there’s going to be a lot of noise but don’t worry. I just need you to keep perfectly still and I’m going to put a neck brace on you until we can check you over properly, okay?”

“My leg… I think it’s broken.” She mumbled.

“Okay well try not to move. We’ll get you out and then I’ll give you something to help with the pain.” He smiled and then carefully placed the neck brace around her neck. While he was doing that, Abigail tried to look out the corner of her eye to the passenger side. She couldn’t see Brian; he was no where in sight. She felt a breeze on her face and looked ahead; there was a gap where the windscreen had been. Brian hadn’t been wearing his seatbelt; had he been thrown clear? That’s when she noticed the dashboard and the bonnet. It was covered in blood, so much blood; it was everywhere.

“Brian?” She whispered. “Where’s Brian?”

“Let’s sort you out first, hey? I need to cover your face now, Abigail. And like I said, don’t worry about the noise. I’ll be right here ok.”

“Okay.”

Darren unfolded the blanket and covered Abigails face and body and then stood back while the fire crew started to cut the roof off the car.

***************

“Any news?” Carlos asked anxiously, when he saw Officer Hamlyn heading in his direction.

“We’ve just had it confirmed, Mr Marin. The female in the car is your wife. They’re bringing her in now.”

“Is she alright?” Jenny asked.

“I’m afraid I don’t have any info on her condition. We’ll have to wait until she arrives.”

“What about Brian?” Michael asked. “Any news on him?”

“Looks like he’s saved us a lot of paperwork. I got a call from one of my officers who was in the ambulance with him. He died on route to the hospital.”

“Just aswell.” Michael commented. “If I’d got my hands on him, I’d have snapped his scrawny little neck and…”

“Michael! That’s enough!” Jenny said, grabbing his arm. “Now is not the time. Officer Hamlyn, do you know who we need to see about Abigail?”

“I’ll take you to the nurses station. I’ll see if I can find out more for you.”

Carlos, Jenny and Michael followed Officer Hamlyn to see what news they could get on Abigails condition and when she would be arriving.

* * * * *

“Urs?”

Urs looked up to see Simon peering around the door.

“Is it ok for me to come in?”

“Yeah, sure.” Urs replied, quickly getting to his feet to greet him with a handshake.

“Sorry I didn’t get here sooner.” Simon apologized. “But I was away on business. I tried calling but kept getting your voicemail.”

“Yeah well things have been a little hectic as you can imagine, and now Abigail…”

“Yeah, Angie mentioned she’d had a little girl.”

“Yes, except she’s now gone missing.”

“Missing?”

“I don’t know all the details but they seem to think it has something to do with a crazy ex boyfriend of hers. They think they’ve found her after someone reported a car accident but we’re not sure what condition either of them are in.”

“Oh geez… I hadn’t heard. I’ll have to go and see how Carlos is doing. But I really came here to see how Kristina was.”

“She’s stable but still hasn’t woken up yet.” Urs said quietly as he sat back down. “They’ve had to put her on dialysis because of the accident.”

“It’s not permanent is it?”

“They don’t think so but there’s no guarantee.” Urs frowned. “That’s why I’ve already started seeing about being a donor. I just want to make sure the option’s there for Kristina.”

“I admire you.” Simon replied. “I don’t know if I could do that.”

“Believe me; you wouldn’t give it a second thought if it meant saving the life of someone you love.”

“No, I guess not.” Simon smiled and then looked at Kristina. “Did you know she called me last week?”

“Kristina?”

Simon nodded.

“No. She never mentioned it.”

“She called asking about a job. We arranged a meeting but she never showed up. I assumed Kristina had changed her mind. I thought maybe she’d said something to you.”

“Hang on, Krissy asked about a job? With you?”

“You look surprised.”

“I am.” Urs replied. “I was the one that she suggested asking you about a job after the whole mess with Tyler but she didn’t seem to keen on the idea.”

“What mess with Tyler?” Simon asked.

“Long story.” Urs shook his head. “He showed up recently wanting to give things another try with Krissy but she wasn’t interested. He kept pestering her, so she quit her job at Cavendish.”

“Ah, I bet he wasn’t too happy about that.” Simon frowned. “From what I’ve heard, the Cavendish’s don’t like to lose in business or personal matters.”

“Yeah and don’t we know it.” Urs frowned. “He decided that he’d threaten Krissy instead. Either come back to Cavendish or he’d have her blacklisted from the publicist industry.”

Simon let out a low whistle.

“He sure doesn’t mess about does he!”

“Don’t suppose you can make him… disappear, can you?

Simon laughed.

“Sorry Urs but my contacts don’t go that far.”

“Well hopefully we’ve seen the last of him. Maybe he’ll get the message when he finds out me and Krissy are getting married.”

“Married?” Simon said in surprise.

Urs nodded and then Simon gave a huge grin.

“What’s wrong?” Urs asked.

“Nothing… just thinking back to that day when we first met in my office and I said that getting this group off the ground might interfere with your personal life.”

“And?”

“And you said it wasn’t a problem. You were single and planned on staying that way.”

“Yeah, I remember.” Urs chuckled.

“I also remember making a comment about how life’s best laid plans always go out the window when a woman is involved.”

“Well, Krissy’s not just any woman.” Urs smiled.

“No, no she’s not.” Simon said, smiling. “I guess congratulations are in order then.”

The two men shook hands again.

“If it’s okay with you, I’m going to see if I can find Carlos and see what’s going on with Abigail.” Simon said, heading for the door. “And you can tell Kristina, if she’s still after a job it would be great to have her back.”

“Thanks Simon. I’ll tell her.”

When Simon had gone, Urs took his seat beside Kristina. He took her hand in his and smiled, content in the knowledge that she acted on his suggestion to work with Simon, meaning they could be closer and spend more time together.

***** CHAPTER 191 *****

“My wife; how is she?” Was Carlos’s immediate question when he saw the doctor coming from Abigail’s room. His voice was choked with emotion; Carlos still couldn’t forgive himself for not keeping his promise and not keeping Abigail safe.

“She’s fine. Her injuries are minor. She just needs plenty of rest.” He replied, and Michael, Jenny and Carlos let out a sigh of relief. “Minor concussion and a few cuts and bruises and a bruised leg. She’ll have to be on crutches for a while and I want her to stay here overnight.”

“You want to keep her in?” Jenny asked, now worried that it was something more serious.

“It’s standard procedure with concussion; nothing to worry about.” He replied. “She’s sleeping at the moment but you can see her if you want to.”

As soon as the doctor left, the three of them quietly entered Abigail’s room. Just as the doctor had said, Abigail was fast asleep. She had a small bump on her forehead and her face and arms were covered in little specks of red from the glass cuts.

Carlos was thankful that it was nothing more serious but he was riddled with guilt for not keeping her out of harms way.

“This is all my fault.” Carlos muttered. “I promised her that I wouldn’t let Brian anywhere near her.”

“Your fault? Oh, don’t say that, Carlos.” Jenny told him, gently rubbing his back. “You’ve already done so much for Abigail and she’s safe now. That’s all that matters. Please don’t let it trouble you.”

Carlos glanced at Jenny and smiled before focusing his attention back on Abigail. He knew Jenny was trying to make him feel better, but it didn’t make any difference to him. The one time when Abigail really needed him and he wasn’t there; and now she was lying injured in hospital.

“While Abigail’s sleeping, I’ll go and see Urs and fill him in.” Jenny said, leaning up and kissing her husband. “I’ll be back shortly.”

Jenny slowly made her way back to Kristina’s room. She had made a slight detour on her way back; she was still trying to come to terms with what had happened. When Michael and Carlos had explained to her about Abigail’s disappearance and the car accident, she had been beside herself with worry. She thought it was some kind of nightmare. Could someone really be that unlucky to have both daughters in hospital at the same time? Abigail had been brought to the same hospital as Kristina and luckily for her, her injuries weren’t as serious as first thought, just a few cuts and bruises and a very badly bruised leg. It meant she would probably be on crutches for a while but there would be no permanent damage.

When Jenny entered Kristina’s room, she found Urs stretched out on some of the chairs that he’d grouped together. He was trying to get some much needed sleep but like everyone else, he was too wound up and worried about Kristina and now Abigail, to be able to sleep. It then crossed her mind that after everything that had happened, Jenny hadn’t had time to tell her husband about Urs and Kristina’s engagement. But there was no hurry, they had plenty of time; but perhaps it was time they had a talk.

“Urs?”

Urs sat bolt up right and looked round when he heard Jenny say his name.

“How’s Kristina? Is she ok?”

Urs nodded.

“Still sleeping.” Urs said, with a soft smile. He didn’t like to think of Kristina being in a coma. Sleeping sounded so much more temporary; as if she could wake at any moment. “How’s Abigail?”

“She’s ok. The doctor said she has minor injuries. She’s sleeping at the moment so we haven’t been able to talk to her.” Jenny replied.

“Thank goodness it wasn’t anything more serious.” Urs commented.

“I know. I don’t think I can take any more drama. These last few days have been bad enough.”

Urs felt uncomfortable, wondering if Jenny was referring to his relationship with Kristina.

“Fancy a walk?” Jenny asked.

Urs didn’t want to leave Kristina, incase there was a change in her condition or she woke. Jenny knew what he was thinking; she felt the same way.

“It’s alright; we don’t have to go far.”

Urs picked up his jacket, which he had rolled up and tried to use as a pillow and shook it out before putting it on. The two of them walked in silence for a minute or two until it became unbearable for Urs.

“What’s on your mind?” Urs asked, knowing full well that Jenny obviously had questions about his and Kristina’s relationship.

“Do you really need to ask?” Jenny said, glancing at him.

Urs wasn’t sure what to say. Jenny was obviously the one with the questions so he waited until she was ready to talk.

“When exactly did you and Kristina meet?” Jenny finally asked him.

“Five years ago.” Urs replied, slipping his hands in to the pockets of his jeans. “It was at the Tony Awards in New York.”

“The Tony Awards.” Jenny commented. Urs could see she was working out the dates in her head. “Kristina would still have been with David then.”

“Yes.” Urs confirmed.

“So what happened after New York? I’m assuming you two arranged to meet again.”

“It was only by chance that we met again.” Urs replied. “I’d lost a cufflink at the Tony Awards but luckily Krissy found it. She was in touch with a work colleague of mine who was trying to set up an audition for David and that’s when we got talking. It turns out she was coming to Paris for business, so she stayed with me and returned the cufflink at the same time. The only other time I saw Krissy was the day after her transplant.”

“I remember Paris. You were the one she stayed with when she broke her wrist, weren’t you?”

Urs nodded and felt a little uncomfortable at having to talk about things, especially as it brought back so many memories of Stephanie and Marius.

“So what happened with you two in Paris? Is that when… you know….”

“Oh no! It’s not what you’re thinking.” Urs said, interrupting her. “Nothing ever happened between us. Krissy was always faithful to David. But… Paris was when she discovered how I felt about her. It was by accident. I knew she was with David, that’s why I said nothing but a friend told her.”

“And how did you feel about my daughter?” Jenny asked.

“I was in love with her… I still am.”

“And now you’re engaged. Doesn’t that make things a little… awkward, between you and David?”

“No. Not really.” Urs shrugged. “David has someone new in his life; Angie. He’s happy for me and Krissy.

“I just can’t understand why Kristina never told me any of this though. I’ve always been so close to my daughters. She’s always given me the impression that you were never anything more than work colleagues.”

“Maybe it was too painful to talk about. I’ll be honest Mrs Sanders, it’s been a tough road for both of us to get this far. Perhaps now that we’re together, Krissy will be able to talk about it with you.”

“Perhaps.” Jenny said thoughtfully. “Why don’t we head back now?”

Urs nodded and they made their way back to Kristina’s room in silence; but this time it was more relaxed. They opened the door to find Michael fast asleep in one of the chairs next to Kristina’s bedside, gently snoring. Michael had come back to Kristina’s room to find Jenny gone. Not long after Jenny had left, Abigail had woken so Michael had let Carlos have some privacy.

“I guess the past few days have worn him out.”

Jenny sat in the other chair and Urs carefully sat on the edge of the bed and took Kristina’s hand in his.

“It’s very beautiful.” Jenny said, looking at the ring.

“It was my grandmothers.” Urs said, rubbing his thumb over the ring. “Before she died, she made me promise that when I found The One, that I was to present her with this ring.”

Urs gave a small sniff and looked over at Jenny.

“She is The One, Mrs Sanders. I never thought I would ever marry until I met Krissy.”

“Jenny. And I know…” she said, reaching across and covering his hand with hers. “I can see it in your eyes. And I’m sure you’re the one for her, else she wouldn’t be marrying you.”

Jenny then looked back at Kristina.

“I should’ve realized it was your ring and not David’s.” Jenny said quietly. “The signs were all there.”

“They were?”

Jenny nodded and smiled at him.

“The way you look at her, the way you kiss her goodbye, that you call her Krissy and not Kristina… and the fact that you haven’t left the hospital since we’ve arrived.”

Urs blushed.

“I just want to make sure she’s ok.”

“She will be.” Jenny smiled. “It’s just going to take some time. And when she wakes up, promise me you won’t give her any pencils.”

“Pencils?” Urs said, utterly confused.

Jenny leant across the bed and whispered to him.

“For her broken leg. Kristina told me all about the incident at the hospital and how you managed to get not one, but two pencils stuck inside your plaster cast.”

Urs couldn’t help but laugh out loud when Jenny reminded him of the pencils.

“That woman is unbelievable. She promised me she wouldn’t tell any one. Just wait until…”

But Urs didn’t finish his sentence, as his throat became choked with tears. He looked back at Kristina. He swallowed hard to clear the tears which were blurring his vision and threatening to fall at any moment. He didn’t want to cry infront of Kristina’s mother, when she seemed to be holding it together and inside he was falling apart.

“It’s okay.” Jenny said softly, suddenly appearing at his side as she gently placed her hand on his shoulder. “If you need to cry, then cry. There’s nothing shameful or weak about a man crying.”

Urs let the tears fall freely, unable to hold them back any longer as Jenny knelt down beside him.

“She’ll wake up soon and then you can start planning this wedding of yours.” She whispered.

Urs’ face broke in to a smile and looked at Jenny, with tears glistening in his eyes.

“She was so excited.” He said, still smiling. “She wanted to get married next month. She wanted a spring wedding but now….”

“Kristina can still have her spring wedding, but I don’t think it will be this spring.”

“I’ll make her the happiest woman alive.” Urs replied. “I promise.”

“I know you will. But will you promise me one other thing?”

“What is it?”

“Promise me you won’t take her out on that bike of yours again.”

Urs wasn’t sure what to make of her statement. He remembered Kristina telling him that her mother disliked the idea of her riding motorbikes and she had joked that her mother would kill her if she ever found out. So how did she know? A smirk slowly appeared on Jenny’s face and that’s when Urs realised she was playing with him.

“I’m not sure I can keep that promise.” Urs said, giving her a gentle smile. “Krissy would kill me if I refused and I’ve seen her when she’s in a bad mood. I don’t think I could say no to her if I tried.”

“You’d do anything for her, wouldn’t you?” Jenny said, now being serious.

“Of course.” Urs said, honestly.

“And do you really love her, Urs?”

“With all my heart, Mrs Sanders.” Urs said, without a hint of doubt or hesitation in his voice.

“Then I guess there are only two things left for me to say.”

Jenny stood up and took his hands in hers, pulling him to his feet.

“Firstly; congratulations!” She said hugging him tightly.

“Thank you.” Urs sighed with relief.

“And secondly; will you please stop calling me Mrs Sanders?” she chuckled.

The two quietly laughed and hugged each other again, just as Michael woke up from his nap.

“Did I miss something?” he said sleepily as he stretched. “Is there something I should know?”

“As a matter of fact, yes there is.” Jenny said, slipping her arm through Urs’ and looking up at him with a knowing smile. “We have a wedding to plan. Kristina and Urs are getting married.”

***** CHAPTER 192 *****

Urs looked at his watch. It was 10 o’clock in the morning; and it had been five days since Kristina’s accident. There had been no change in her condition; she still hadn’t woken. Urs stood up from the chair and stretched. His eyes burned from lack of sleep and his muscles ached from the uncomfortable positions he’d fallen asleep in and the fact that he’d hardly moved from his chair in those five days, except when Jenny and Michael came to visit.

As promised, Abigail had been able to go home the following day after her accident but she needed crutches to get around for a while; so when Carlos and Abigail weren’t visiting Eliana, who was still in the SCBU (Special Care Baby Unit), Michael and Jenny would make occasional visits to their apartment to check on how they were doing.

But right now Jenny and Michael, and especially David, were starting to worry about Urs. David had urged him to eat more and to go home and get some proper sleep but he’d lost his appetite and he refused to leave the hospital.

“So, how are you holding up?”

Urs looked round to see David standing in the doorway.

“I’m doing fine.” Urs replied, before yawning.

“Yeah, I can see that,” David arched an eyebrow. “Bloodshot eyes, crumpled clothes, wild hair. That’s a nice beard you’ve got going there. Don’t take this the wrong way mate, but you look like hell and you could do with a shower. You’re starting to hum.”

“Now that makes me feel loads better.” Urs laughed. “Thanks, David.”

“Don’t mention it.” David grinned. It was the first time he’d seen Urs smile in days. “Now are you going to go home or not?”

“David, I said that…”

“I know what you said. But Urs it’s been five days. In that time, you’ve only left here to go the toilet and to give Jenny and Michael some privacy. You need to look after yourself. You’ll be no good to Krissy when she wakes up and you’ve made yourself ill. The doctor has already told you she’s over the worst and out of danger. It’s now just a matter of time. You can’t watch over her for an eternity.”

Urs didn’t answer. He sat back down in his chair by Kristina’s bed, in an attempt to show David that he had no intention of going anywhere.

“You’d better take this then.” David said, as he passed something to Urs. “Egg and bacon roll.”

“It’s still warm.” Urs said, after taking his first bite. “Mmm, this is good.”

“Well if you want any more of those, you’ll have to get them yourself. That means you’ll have to leave the room, Urs.”

“Very funny. Hey, where are you going?” Urs asked; when he saw David heading for the door.

“To get another egg and bacon roll.” David replied. “You’re eating mine.”

Urs shrugged and went back to eating his roll. A few minutes passed and Urs looked up when he heard the door open and expected to see David; but it was Jenny and Michael.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning.” Urs said, quickly getting to his feet and brushing the crumbs from his lap.

“Any news?” Jenny asked.

Urs shook his head.

“No, nothing.”

“I’ll go get us some coffee.” Michael said, searching through his pockets for some change. “Did you want one, Urs?”

“No, I’m alright thanks.”

“Are you sure? You look like you could do with it, son.” Michael commented.

“No, honestly I’m fine.”

Michael shrugged and headed off in search of a drinks machine. Jenny took a seat next to Urs.

“David said you haven’t been home since the accident.” Jenny commented.

“No…. my place is here, with Krissy.”

“That’s no reason to make your self ill, Urs. Go home. Get yourself cleaned up, eat a proper meal and get some sleep.”

“I can’t. I… I want to stay here.”

“Urs, I’m not asking you, I’m telling you; politely. Believe me, I know how you’re feeling but you need to take care of yourself. I already have enough to worry about without worrying about my future son in law passing out from exhaustion. So please… do as I ask. David has already offered to drive you home. He’s outside waiting for you.”

Urs knew there was no point in arguing with Jenny and as much as he wanted to stay with Kristina, he really did need to get some sleep and a decent meal. He was just too tired and didn’t have the strength to argue anymore. His head was thumping constantly and his muscles ached beyond belief from all the odd places he’d slept. But he still couldn’t quite bring himself to leave Kristina.

“I know how hard this must be for you, Urs.” Jenny said, reaching for his hand. “Maybe it was wrong of him but David explained that something similar has happened to you with a past girlfriend. He’s worried about you. We’re all worried about you and I know this is hard but please, do this for me. Do it for Kristina. She would hate to see you like this, making yourself ill over her. Go home and come back when you’re rested.”

Urs didn’t want to leave but he did feel a little light headed from lack of sleep and after eating the roll, he realized how hungry he was.

“If I go, do you promise you’ll call me? The tiniest little thing and you will call me?”

Jenny smiled and nodded.

“I promise. I’ll call you as soon as the doctors tell us anything.”

Urs looked at Kristina. He hated seeing her this way and felt helpless, knowing that there was nothing he could do except be there when she woke up. But David and Jenny were right, he felt grubby, hungry and he was in desperate need of sleep and he would be of no use to Kristina when she woke.

“I’ll be back later tonight.”

“Take your time, Urs.” Jenny said, giving him another friendly hug. “We’re not going anywhere.”

Urs smiled. He then went over to Kristina and held her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I’ll be back soon, beautiful. I promise.” He whispered, leaning over her and placing a soft kiss on her forehead. “I love you.”

Urs then looked back at Jenny.

“You promise; any change no matter how small and you’ll call me.”

“I promise. Now go. Go and get some rest.”

Urs stopped in the doorway, glancing back at Kristina, tears of worry glazing over his eyes. For a split second he had visions of Aimee lying there. And then he remembered the promise he’d made to Kristina; after her attack he had promised he would never leave her again. He was having second thoughts about leaving but he was having problems keeping his eyes open and he knew that Kristina would be in safe hands with her parents.

***** CHAPTER 193 *****

David dropped Urs off at his apartment. Even though Urs knew Kristina was in hospital; Urs felt completely lost without her. But as soon as he opened the front door, his nostrils were filled with the unmistakable scent of her perfume. It was almost as if she were in the room with him. Urs kicked off his shoes and made his way to the bedroom. His head was starting to thump again and he needed to lie down and get some sleep before he fell down.

But as he opened the door to the bedroom, Urs paused in the doorway. He stared at the unmade bed that the two of them had left so hurriedly, after getting the phone call from Carlos about Abigail going in to labour. It didn’t seem possible that only a few days ago, they had been in this room, making love, laughing, joking and thinking of their future together. How could everything change in such a short space of time? It was like a bad dream, but one that he couldn’t wake up from.

Sighing heavily, Urs got undressed and hung his clothes over the back of the chair, before getting in to bed and pulling the duvet up over him. His arms felt empty without Kristina beside him, so he held one of the pillows against him tightly and his senses were awakened once again as he inhaled her scent. An image of her appeared in his head and he could taste her lips on his, feel where her fingers had touched his face and remembered how she had lovingly rested her head on his chest. Urs soon drifted off in to a deep sleep; dreaming of Kristina.

*************************

Urs couldn’t believe the time when he woke. He’d been asleep for almost twenty four hours. He certainly hadn’t planned on sleeping that long. He quickly showered and dressed and rode his bike back to the hospital. Urs opened the door to Kristina’s room and saw David sitting by Kristina’s bed. There was someone else there but he had his back to Urs.

“Urs!” David said getting to his feet when he saw him. The stranger then turned and faced Urs.

“Tyler? What the hell are you doing here?”

Urs glared at him.

“Angie told me what happened.” Tyler replied.

“Get out!” Urs hissed.

“Listen, I’m not here to cause trouble.”

“Then why did you come?”

“I came to see how Kristina was.”

“Well you’ve seen her, now go.” Urs demanded, grabbing his jacket and pushing him towards the door.

“Get off me!” Tyler said, struggling with Urs. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

“Urs, leave him.” David said, rushing round to pull Urs off Tyler.

“Why don’t you get out of here?” Urs yelled. “She doesn’t need you. All you’ve ever done since I’ve known you is cause trouble with all your sweet talking, getting her to move to New York and then walking out on her. Do you think you can worm your way back in to her life by blackmailing her?”

Tyler froze, shocked that Urs knew about his ultimatum.

“That’s right. Krissy told me. She told me what you said. You insisted she come back to work for Cavendish and stay with you or you’d blacklist her with every publicist known. Well it didn’t work and do you know why? Because you mean nothing to her. She doesn’t love you, she loves me. Nothing will ever change that.”

Urs let go of Tyler and went to Kristina’s bed and gently lifted up her left hand.

“Do you see this?” he asked, his voice now softening. “It’s an engagement ring. I asked Krissy to marry me and she said yes. Your threats might work on some people but not Krissy. So why don’t you crawl back to where you came from and leave us alone?”

“Is this true?” David asked as he approached Tyler, when it fell silent. “Did you threaten to blacklist her?”

“I… I was angry when I said that.” Tyler replied, taking a step back from David. “Kristina knows I would never do that.”

The muscles in Davids face tightened, and he looked as if he was about to explode.

“I think you’d better leave because if he doesn’t hit you then I just might.”

Tyler quickly turned and headed for the door but then stopped.

“I have to go back to the States later today but will you call me if she wakes up?” he asked, quietly. “Angie has my number.”

“Get out!” Urs yelled, making a dash for the door.

But Tyler was too quick and made his escape, closing the door after him.

“I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have let him come in.” David said, apologetically. “I knew things would probably be uncomfortable between you two but he seemed really concerned about her. I didn’t know he’d done that to Krissy.”

“It’s alright.” Urs said, taking his seat back at Kristina’s side. “You weren’t to know.”

“When did all that happen?”

“A couple of days before the accident; she had an argument with him and quit. She only went in to give Angie her official resignation but bumped in to him. That’s when he threatened her.”

“That man might have money but he has no morals whatsoever. I’ve no idea what Krissy ever saw him in.”

“Me neither but hopefully that man will one day get what’s coming to him.”

**** CHAPTER 194 *****

It had now been a month since Kristina’s accident and her condition was troubling the doctors. She still hadn’t woken from her coma and over the past two weeks, her creatinine levels were gradually increasing, so Dr Mills had ordered every test possible to be carried out.

“Mr Buhler? Mr and Mrs Sanders?”

They all got up from their seats. As soon as he saw the look on Dr Mills face, Urs knew something wasn’t right. He’d seen that look before; when he’d told him Kristina was in a coma.

“Something’s wrong isn’t it?”

“Why don’t we take a seat and I’ll explain.” Dr Mills replied.

They all sat down and waited for Dr Mills to start talking.

“As you know, over the last couple of weeks Kristina’s creatinine levels have increased considerably and they’re still increasing.”

“Yes, and you wanted to do some more tests.” Urs nodded.

“We’ve just got the results back and we now know why.”

“It’s her kidneys isn’t it? They’re failing.” Michael sighed, expecting the worst.

“No, it’s nothing like that but we do need Kristina to keep on with the dialysis for a little while longer.”

“So what is it then?” Jenny asked.

“I’ve had them do the test twice to double check and I can confirm that Kristina’s pregnant.”

“Pregnant?” she gasped. She then looked at Urs, who was in obvious shock but couldn’t hide the tinge of red from his cheeks, as he remembered the night he and Kristina had spent together.

“Yes, at a guess I would say five or six weeks.” Dr Mills informed them.

“Is everything ok?” Urs asked, still under the constant stare of Jenny.

“That’s what I need to talk to you about; there are risks involved with this pregnancy.”

“What sort of risks?” Jenny asked, her attention now focused back on Dr Mills.

“Pre-eclampsia, hepatitis and dehydration to name just a few. Obviously with Kristina being in a coma, this is not as… ‘simple’, as I’d hoped. Kristina is in no state to make the decision herself.”

“What decision?” Michael asked.

“It might not come to it, but… normally, in these circumstances I would recommend a termination.”

“A termination?” Urs looked horrified. “Why? Just because she’s in a coma?”

“No, of course not. Let me explain. In some pregnancies a pregnancy can worsen the mothers kidney function and we’ve got the proof here that Kristina’s creatinine levels are already increasing. A normal healthy kidney works all day, everyday. The body of someone on dialysis for just a few hours a week, has a much higher level of waste products than a body with good kidney function. Having extra waste in the system makes it harder for the baby to develop as it should. I had hoped with Kristina being on dialysis that her levels would decrease but it doesn’t seem to be at the moment. If it carries on this way, she could lose all kidney function which would mean another transplant which we couldn’t possibly do while she’s pregnant.”

“So it’s either have the termination and her kidneys will improve, or go ahead with the pregnancy and she could die?” Jenny asked. “Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes; both her and the baby.” Dr Mills said gravely. “The main problem with babies born to a kidney transplant recipient is being born premature. Kristina could even miscarry. It all depends on renal function and blood pressure and her creatinine levels. That’s why we really need to try and get it down and I’m hoping the dialysis will help. Another risk is the immunosuppressive drugs that Kristina has to take, in order to stop her kidney being rejected. Some of them are high risks to babies, some cause abnormalities. But I have to add, these days it’s very rare.”

“Are you telling us that if Kristina doesn’t come out of her coma, that we will have to make the decision to terminate?” Michael asked solemnly.

“Yes, but the decision would lie with Mr Buhler.” He then turned to look at Urs. “You might not be married, but you’re engaged and under hospital policy, we would class you as Kristina’s next of kin.”

“But can’t she just stay on dialysis throughout the pregnancy?” Urs asked.

“There’s no guarantee it will work. It doesn’t seem to be helping much at the moment.” Dr Mills explained. “Even with a normal pregnancy the kidneys have to work overtime to keep the blood clean because the baby releases wastes into the mother’s blood stream, and she also has an increased amount of blood in her body. So, for women on dialysis whose kidneys don’t work, pregnancy is even harder on the body. More frequent dialysis is needed to keep the blood as clean as possible but it might get to the stage where dialysis is not enough...”

“And you can’t consider a transplant until the baby is born.” Michael finished.

Dr Mills nodded. “And by that time, it might be too late.”

“What if I say no to the termination?” Urs asked.

“Urs!” Jenny looked appalled. “How could you ask that? How could you put Kristina’s life at risk, knowing we could lose her?”

“It’s my child we’re talking about here; mine and Krissy’s.” Urs said; his voice now choked with tears. “Your grandchild. I just want to know all the options before we do something rash. We have to think of what Kristina would want as well.”

“Well, it sounds to me like you’ve already decided and I refuse to listen to this.” Jenny said, getting up from her seat. “I can’t believe that you would even consider letting Kristina continue with the pregnancy when you know it could kill her. You say you love her but you have a damn funny way of showing it. If she dies because of you, I will never forgive you, Urs. Never! Do you hear me?”

Jenny picked up her coat and bag and stormed out of the room before anyone could say a word.

“Let me go and talk to her.” Michael forced a smile. “You have to understand she’s been under a lot of stress lately.”

Michael stood up from his seat and went to look for Jenny, quietly closing the door behind him.

“Like I said before, it would be your decision. Mr Buhler. No one elses.” Dr Mills informed him, when Jenny and Michael had left. “If you did decide to go ahead, Kristina would need a lot of extra care and attention. There would be a dedicated team that specialise in high risk pregnancies which would consist of a nephrologist in other words a kidney doctor, an obstetrician, a dialysis nurse, a renal dietician and a paediatrician who specialises in premature births. We have everything covered but it’s a lot of hard work and added stress.”

“When... when would we need to make a decision?” Urs asked.

“Legally it’s 24 weeks. But our hospital wouldn’t consider a termination beyond 18 to 20 weeks.” Dr Mills replied. “So you still have plenty of time to think about it. And who knows, maybe Kristina will be awake by then and you won’t have to make this decision yourself.”

“I hope so. So what would it involve, for Kristina, if we did go ahead with the pregnancy?”

“Well, the baby would need to be continually monitored to check its devlopement.” He replied. “As the pregnancy progresses, Kristina would need to increase her dialysis treatments from three times to maybe five or six times per week. More frequent dialysis is gentler on the mother’s body and less traumatic for the baby because more frequent dialysis more closely resembles the function of healthy kidneys. Blood pressure control is also better with more frequent dialysis, so we could pick up on things like pre-eclampsia.”

Urs got up from his seat, rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head in frustration.

“For once, I wish something would go right for us; just once. Is it really too much to ask?”

Urs wasn’t expecting an answer, so he wasn’t disappointed when Dr Mills couldn’t give him one.

“Think it over.” Dr Mills told him. “You still have plenty of time but the sooner the better, for Kristina’s sake. And the longer you leave it, the harder it will be to make a decision.”

“Okay. Thank you.” Urs sighed.

Dr Mills left Urs alone with Kristina and he took his usual seat, by her bedside.

“You have to wake up, Krissy.” He whispered. “I can’t make this decision alone. This should be one that we both make. What if I make the wrong decision?” Urs let out a heavy sigh. “But your mother’s right, Krissy. If I love you like I say I do, how can I even consider keeping the baby and putting your life at risk? But what if you hate me for it? I’m not even sure I could live with myself afterwards. Oh Krissy, you have to wake up... please.”

But Kristina didn’t wake up and Urs was beginning to wonder if she ever would.

***** CHAPTER 195*****

It had been a week since the revelation that Kristina was pregnant. Now that the doctors knew what they were dealing with, they were able to give her more suitable medication and the dialysis seemed to be slowly but gradually bringing her creatinine levels down. In those last seven days, Urs, Jenny and Michael had talked several times, all trying to come to a decision. They all loved Kristina and the child she was carrying but they all bore their own responsilibities, one of parent and one of future husband. Even though Kristina was a fully grown adult and now engaged to Urs, nothing could stop a parent from trying to look out for their child, she would always be their little girl. But for Urs, he had the hard task of choosing between Kristina and his unborn child, an impossible decision.

Jenny, Michael and Urs had still been unable to reach an agreement over the pregnancy, all hoping that Kristina would wake and take some of the burden from them, each one worrying that what ever decision they made, it would be the wrong one. After the initial shock at Dr Mills suggestion, Jenny had apologized to Urs and they had managed to talk about things amicably. It was strange how something so serious and potentially life threatening, had brought Urs closer to Kristina’s parents. The only irk Urs had with Jenny was that she insisted he left every night at midnight, no later. He wasn’t to return until 10am and in that time he had to promise to get a full nights sleep and eat a proper meal.

As for Abigail, she had been allowed to go home after a night in hospital and was making a speedy recovery despite being on crutches and coping with a newborn. Eliana was gaining strength and had been allowed to go home after some time in hospital. So when Jenny and Michael were visiting Abigail, Carlos and Eliana at home, Urs would sit alone with Kristina. Simon had been incredibly understanding at Urs’s situation but it seemed that some days life had to carry on as normal which meant having to do radio or magazine interviews or return to the studio to work on some more songs for a new album at the end of the year. By 6pm, Urs would be back at the hospital and sitting by Kristina’s beside. Urs reluctantly agreed to Jenny’s request to go home, but it was good advice and he was soon starting to feel like his old self again and getting in to a routine which seemed to help. But he still felt as if a part of him was missing, while seeing Kristina this way. He would sit by her bed and hold her hand, talking and reading to her as if she were awake. The doctors encouraged it, saying that she could hear every word yet Urs wasn’t convinced. He wondered if she even knew he was there but Urs was willing to try anything. At night he would sometimes sing quietly to her, and when the nurses came to do their regular checks on the patients, they would often stop by the door and listen to him. Other times he would simply sit there and watch her sleeping. She didn’t move; she remained perfectly still apart from the gentle rise and fall of her chest. That’s when his thoughts troubled him, that’s when he would be overcome with worry, wondering if God would be the reason he lost her again and for good this time; and also losing his chance to be a father too.

**************

“Did you speak to him?” Michael asked Carlos when he saw him appear.

“No.” Carlos replied, as het met the others outside Kristina’s room. “I’ve tried his mobile but it goes straight to voice mail. He’s not at the house or his apartment. Simon’s making a few calls to see if anyone has seen him.”

“I can’t believe this.” Jenny muttered. “He’s here everyday, regular as clock work and then this happens and he’s nowhere to be found.”

“Something must’ve happened to prevent him from coming.” Carlos answered. “You nothing or no-one on earth could stop Urs from coming to see Kristina.”

“You don’t think he’s had an accident do you?” Abigail said, now worried that something bad had happened.

“No, of course not.” Carlos said, reassuringly. “Knowing Urs, he’s probably out on that bike of his again. You know he likes to be alone. He’s just lost track of time.”

“So what do we do?” Jenny asked.

“I guess we wait.” Abigail shrugged.

*****************

Urs had been running late. He had intended on going straight to the hospital after a dentist appointment but half way there, his bike had decided to break down. It was raining, and he’d tried calling for the breakdown service but his mobile was dead. He’d been so busy earlier that day that he’d completely forgotten to charge it up. So he ended up walking to the nearest phone box, and calling for a tow truck. It dropped him off at a local garage, which is where he called for a taxi. He’d arrived at the hospital, soaking wet and carrying a limp bunch of red carnations. And then he saw them; Michael, Jenny, Carlos and Abigail standing outside Kristina’s room. What were they all doing there? It could only mean one thing, something had happened to Kristina or the baby. Urs instantly thought the worst and he could feel his chest tighten at the thought of losing her.

“Abigail? She’s not…she hasn’t lost the...” Urs stuttered, and then held his breath. He couldn’t even bring himself to say the words.

“We’ve been trying to get hold of you for hours.” Jenny said, approaching Urs. “Where have you been? The doctor has…”

But Urs didn’t wait to hear what Jenny was telling him. He rushed straight past them and threw open the door, bursting in to Kristina’s room. He stood in the door way, not knowing what to expect. At first, all he could see was Alison was leaning over Kristina. But then Alison looked over her shoulder to see who had dared to ignore her requests to leave, while she did her check on Kristina. Alison smiled when she saw it was Urs and stepped to one side; and that’s when he saw her. Urs had been sitting by Kristina’s bedside everyday for the last seven weeks waiting for the moment when she would open her eyes again and now…

“Hey Buhler.” Kristina said weakly, with a faint smile on her face. “You’re late!”

“I’ll leave you two in peace.” Alison said, walking towards Urs. “Don’t keep her awake for too long, she’s still very weak and needs to rest.”

Urs looked at Kristina and smiled.

“Don’t worry. I’ll look after her.”

“I know you will.” Alison said, and patted his arm before closing the door after her.

Urs stood there looking at Kristina. Now that she was awake, he wasn’t sure what to say.

“Are you going to stand there all day or can I get a kiss?” Kristina said quietly. Her throat felt a little dry and her voice sounded raspy.

Kristina tried to sit up but gasped and laid back on the bed.

“Krissy?” Urs said, rushing to her bedside. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s just a bit of back ache and my leg’s a little sore. I feel stiff all over. I can’t wait to get out of here and move about. I already hate being stuck here.”

“Well you still need plenty of rest.” Urs smiled. “And I’m going to make sure you get it.”

“The way I’m feeling at the moment, you won’t hear me complaining.” Kristina smiled. “And I’m still waiting for my kiss.”

Urs sat on the edge of the bed and gently kissed her on the mouth and whispered to her.

“Welcome back.”

“Thanks.”

“How do you feel?”

“Believe it or not, I’m tired.” Kristina gave a small laugh.

“So what has the doctor said?” Urs asked, wondering if she knew about the baby.

“Not a lot. He did a few checks and said he would come and see me in the morning. He just wanted to me to rest for now.”

“Krissy, you had me so worried.” Urs replied, deciding not to tell Kristina about her pregnancy until he’d spoken to Dr Mills. “What on earth did you think you were doing? The driver said you just stepped out in front of him.”

“I did?” Kristina asked, frowning. “I don’t remember.”

“You don’t remember? Nothing at all?” Urs asked worriedly.

“I remember you proposed.” Kristina smiled, squeezing his hand. “And we got a taxi back to the hospital but after that… nothing.”

“I’m just thankful that you’re ok and not seriously injured. When I saw you lying there, I was so worried I was going to lose you just like…”

Urs stopped himself, unable to say her name.

“Like Aimee.” Kristina said, quietly. “Oh Urs, I’m so sorry. Mom said you were here days and she had a hard time getting you to leave.”

“Yes but your mum can be very persuasive sometimes, as I found out. By the way, how did she know that I took you out on the bike? Did you tell her?”

“I might have mentioned it in passing.” Kristina giggled. “I was just so excited that I had to tell someone and mum called and well... you know the rest.”

Kristina gave a small yawn.

“I should go and let you rest.” Urs said, as he made a move to stand up.

“No, don’t go.” Kristina said, taking hold of his hand again. “Stay for just a little bit longer. Tell me what you’ve been doing.”

“Not much really.” Urs settled down beside her again. “We’ve been trying to decide on some new songs to include on the next album. We’ve been doing some interviews but when we weren’t working, I would be here visiting you. Oh and I’ve been looking at some houses online.”

“You’ll have to get the details and let me see. And then when I get out of here we can go and have a look.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be for a while yet, Krissy.”

“And I guess the spring wedding is off too.”

“The wedding isn’t off it’s just… postponed. You can still have your spring wedding. If you want me to, aswell as bringing in the house details, I could bring you some wedding magazines and you can start planning. I’m sure that will stop you from getting bored.”

Kristina sat listening to Urs, trying to take in everything he said. She remembered Urs mentioning that he would bring in some details on houses and buy some wedding magazines, she even remembered trying to remember events that led up to the accident but she didn’t remember closing her eyes or falling asleep.

Urs quietly got up from the bed so as not to wake her and softly kissed her forehead.

“Good night, Krissy.” He whispered.

He then glanced at Kristina’s stomach. He still couldn’t believe that there was a tiny life growing inside her, his child. They still had a big decision to make but that could wait until tomorrow. Unable to resist the temptation, Urs ever so lightly placed the palm of his hand on her stomach.

“Sweet dreams, little one.”

***** CHAPTER 196 *****



It wasn’t until around lunchtime the following day that Kristina woke. She still felt tired and her body felt drained. The doctor said it would taken some time for her body to regain all her strength as her muscles hadn’t been used in several weeks. But Kristina was already getting bored so she was thankful for visitors.


“You should have heard David when I told him the news. He screamed down the phone, infact I’m surprised he didn’t deafen me.” Carlos said, hugging Kristina.


Kristina couldn’t help smiling at the scene Carlos had described.


“And Sebastien, well I have no idea what he said, because it was all in French but I think you can safely say he was happy to hear you were finally awake. Abigail was worried that you would never wake up. The doctor said the longer you were in a coma, the less chance you stood of coming out of it. But I told her you would.”


“And he was right as always.” Abigail smiled. “Oh my God, I almost forgot.”


“What?” Kristina asked, now worried at her sisters sudden outburst.


When Urs had explained to Kristina that Abigail had been involved in an accident with Brian, it jogged her memory and that’s when she remembered why she was in such a hurry to cross the road; she wanted to warn her sister about Brian. When Abigail heard this, even though Brian was dead, it was a relief to her, to know that he wasn’t invovled in her sisters accident.


“I totally forgot. I haven’t congratulated you.” Abigail said, hugging Kristina tightly. “You and Urs. The engagement. Now that you’re awake, we can start planning a party and then talk about the wedding dress. Urs said you wanted to get married in the Spring, so I guess you’ll have to wait until next year now.”


“Give the woman a chance.” a familiar voice said. “She’s been asleep for weeks and you want to drag her off to dress shops and parties!”


“David!” Kristina said, her face beaming when she saw him standing in the doorway.


“Hey kiddo.” He replied, striding over to the bed and taking her in his arms and hugging her. “It’s good to see you again.”


“Do I get a hug too?” said a soft French accent.


Kristina looked over David’s shoulder to see none other than Sebastien standing there.


“Of course you do.” Kristina smiled, holding her arms out to him.


David stepped back and let Sebastien pass. An hour passed way too quickly, as everyone told Kristina what they’d been up to when a raised voice silenced them all. Everyone turned at the sudden intteruption; it was Dr Mills.


“I know you’re all pleased to see Kristina but she needs her rest. Time to leave.”


Urs went to leave but Dr Mills said he could stay, so Urs sat on the edge of the bed next to Kristina. He knew that Dr Mills still had to talk to Kristina about the pregnancy. Jenny, Michael and Urs had decided to keep this information between just the three of them until a decision was made.


“So when can I go home?” Kristina asked cheerfully when the others had left. “Tomorrow?”


“I don’t think that’s going to be for another week or two, maybe longer.” Dr Mills said, taking a seat next to her.


“How come?” Kristina frowned. “I feel absolutely fine. I’m just a little tired but I can rest at home.”


“It’s not as simple as that, Kristina. Your kidneys suffered some damage due to the accident. It wasn’t anything life threatening but while you were in the coma, we had to put you on dialysis.”


“Dialysis?” Kristina mumbled. She felt Urs gently squeeze her hand. “I didn’t realise. For how long was I on dialysis?”


“Kristina, I’m afraid you still need dialysis. You’ll have have more treatment today or tomorrow.” Dr Mills replied. “The dialysis seems to have helped and your kidneys appear to be healing by themselves. But your creatinine levels are still raised. Aslong as your creatinine levels don’t go up I’m quite happy for you to go home in a week or two. But for now I want to keep you here so we can monitor you on a daily basis. There’s something that we hadn’t planned on.”


Again Kristina felt Urs gently squeeze her hand and she looked towards him.


“Is it bad?” Kristina whispered, dreading to hear the answer.


Urs looked to Dr Mills, unsure what to say. “Did you want to tell her yourself?” Dr Mills asked.


Urs nodded. “Could we have some privacy?”


“Of course.” Dr Mills got to his feet. “I’ll come back later. You’re bound to have some questions.” He added, glancing at Kristina.


“Urs, what is it?” Kristina asked, when Dr Mills left. “You’re worrying me.”


“Krissy… I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to say it.” Urs turned to face Kristina properly and smiled softly at her. “You’re pregnant.”


“Pregnant?” Kristina laughed. “Very funny. Now be serious for a minute. What were you really going to tell me?”


“Krissy, I’m not joking. They told us last week. Dr Mills had them do all sorts of blood tests because they couldn’t work out why your creatinine levels were still going up. You’re pregnant.”


“I don’t believe you.” Kristina said ever so quietly.


“It’s the truth, Krissy. You’re about seven weeks gone.”


A stunned silence followed, while Kristina absorbed what Urs had just told her.


“I’m pregnant?” she finally mumbled.


“Yes. I couldn’t believe it at first either. But Dr Mills confirmed it last week.”


“I’m pregnant.” Kristina repeated, sounding even more shocked than before. “How is that possible?”


Urs opened his mouth to answer, but when she saw the cheeky look on his face, Kristina put her hand up, signalling him to stop.


“No, no don’t answer that. But how? We’ve only spent one night together.”


“It might have only been one night, but we made love several times, if I remember rightly.” Urs murmured, as he leant forward and covered her lips with his. “And contraception was the last thing on our mind that night. We were working on that bucket list of yours.”


Kristina smiled at his comment, remembering how she had wanted children, lots of them but then her head was suddenly filled with questions; but one question in particular was worrying her.


“So are you happy?” Kristina asked, unsure if it was too soon for them to have a baby so early in their relationship. “You don’t think it’s a bit sudden?”


His smile faltered when Urs knew that he had the hard task of telling Kristina that they had to consider a termination because of the risks to her health. Kristina could see something was troubling him.


“You don’t want it, do you?” Kristina muttered, when he didn’t answer straight away.


“Oh Krissy, how could you think such a thing?” Urs said, immediately wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly. “Of course I want it.; more than you could ever know. You know I want a family but… there is something else I have to tell you.”


Urs slowly got up from his place on the bed and started rubbing his neck while pacing around the room. He didn’t even know where to start. Perhaps he should have let Dr Mills explain things. He could do it better than him but he didn’t want Kristina to hear it from a total stranger.


“Urs?”


Urs turned to see Kristina watching him intently with those beautiful blue eyes of hers and a look of concern on her face. He sat back down on the bed and took her hands in his; his eyes were already welling up with tears.


“Krissy…” he took a deep breath. “Dr Mills is concerned that the dialysis might not work because the baby is putting extra stress on your body. He thinks that eventually your kidneys will stop working completely and they couldn’t even consider a transplant while you’re pregnant. The pregnancy is very risky for both of you and that’s why… that’s why he’s suggesting a termination.”


“You mean… No… ” Kristina whispered, pulling her hands from his grip. “Never.”


“Krissy, please. I know this is hard but we’re talking about your health here. Your life. You need to give it some thought. The doctor wouldn’t suggest it unless it was absolutely necessary.”


“No. I couldn’t do it.” Kristina shook her head adamantly. “It’s not right.”


“Krissy, it’s the last thing I want but you have to see, it’s the sensible thing to do.”


“But it’s a baby” Kristina whispered. “Our baby.”


“I know…” Urs almost choked on his tears. “But it could kill you.”


Kristina didn’t answer, instead she looked towards the window with tears in her eyes.


“Did you want me to get Dr Mills? He can explain it better than me.”


“No.” Kristina said quickly, turning to face Urs. “I don’t want to talk to anyone. I’m tired. Infact I think you should go.”


Urs could tell by the tone of her voice that it was more of a demand than a suggestion but he didn’t like to leave her this way.


“Krissy…”


“Just go, Urs. Please.”


“Krissy, we need to talk…”


“We’ll talk tomorrow. I… I need time to think.”


Kristina laid back down and turned over so that her back was now to Urs. He knew they had to talk but he could see it was upsetting Kristina so he reluctantly did as she asked. He picked up his jacket and leant across the bed, lightly kissing Kristina on the cheek.


“I love you, Krissy. No matter what you decide, I’ll always love you and we’ll get through it together. Don’t forget that.”


Kristina didn’t reply, she didn’t move a muscle.


When Urs had gone, Kristina gently placed a hand on her still flat stomach. After finding out that Abigail was pregnant, she’d lost count how many times she’d thought about being a mother herself, but mostly about having a child with Urs. Until the day before the accident, she had thought it would be nothing more than a dream. But then Urs had asked her to marry him and suddenly it seemed as if anything was possible, until now. But now they wanted her to get rid of it. If being a kidney transplant recipient meant that she might never be able to carry a child, then this could be her only chance for her and Urs to become parents. Could she really give that up?

**** CHAPTER 197 *****




Two days had passed and Urs came to visit as usual. Kristina had spoken to Dr Mills about the pregnancy but refused to talk to anyone else about it; including Urs. She knew they needed to talk about it and that when it came to it, it should be a joint decision but he’d already had a week to think about it and she needed more time. Urs spoke to Jenny and Michael explaining that Kristina refused to discuss it with him and needed more time, and asked them not to mention it.



At first, Urs had thought the same thing as Kristina, refusing to terminate but came to realise that Kristina’s life was much too important. It would be soul destroying for them to lose their baby, but they could always try again, when Kristina was healthier. Now all Urs had to do was convince Kristina. Even though she was refusing to discuss it, claiming she needed more time, Urs was pretty certain that she’d already made her mind up to keep it. But Urs hadn’t said another word about it, when he saw how much it upset her. Dr Mills had suggested they leave it for a week or two and then approach the subject again, when she’d had time to adjust.



Urs quietly opened the door, not wanting to wake Kristina but was surprised to find her sitting up in bed and reading a magazine. At Kristina’s request, he had brought in wedding magazines every day, so that she could start planning the wedding and details on properties for sale to try and take her mind off things.



“Morning gorgeous!” Urs said placing the bag on the floor and then kissing her. “How are you feeling?”



“Good.” She replied, smiling. “Don’t suppose you’ve got any food in that bag, have you? I’m hungry and they haven’t brought my breakfast yet.”



“Afraid not.” He said, taking a seat. “But I did bring you these.”



Urs picked up the bag and handed it to Kristina.



“I found some more wedding magazines for you and there’s some more details of a couple of new houses that have just come on the market.”



“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.” Kristina replied. “I’ve been looking at all the details you left yesterday and I quite like the house near Sunny Hill Park.”



“You mean the detached one with the bay windows, the double garage and the huge garden with the big pond?”



“And the big open fire in the lounge.” Kristina nodded. “That’s the one. I was thinking… perhaps we could go see it.”



“I was hoping you’d say that.” Urs smiled. “As soon as I saw it, I loved the look of it. They said an elderly woman that lived there so it needs a lot of work doing to it. It’s quite dated.”



“Hey I don’t mind.” Kristina smiled. “I like the idea of doing it up and making it our own.”



“Well, that’s not going to be for a long while yet.” Urs said, getting up from the chair and sitting on the bed. “When they finally let you go home, you’re not doing a thing. You won’t be able to do much as it is, with that broken leg.”



“I know.” Kristina sighed. “But atleast the cast can come off in a week or two. I’m so bored. I just want to get out of here and get some fresh air.”



“It’s just for another day or two.” Urs whispered, before softly kissing her.



Kristina wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back eagerly, not wanting to let him go. She was so frustrated, and if it wasn’t for the fact that she was stuck in hospital she would probably be pulling his clothes off about now. Urs could see the look in her eyes and knew exactly what she was thinking. It was torture for him too, not being able to show her how much he loved her.



“I wish I could get out of here.” She sighed again, as she pulled away.



“I know.” He smiled, running his fingers through her hair. “But it won’t be long now. You’ll just have to be patient.”



“You know I’m not very good at being patient.”



“Well, this will be a great time to learn. Oh, I almost forgot!” Urs reached in to his jacket and held up an envelope. “This is for you.”



“What is it?” she asked. She went to take the envelope from him, but he suddenly moved it from her reach.



“Why don’t you try and take a guess?”



“Oh just tell me, Urs.” Kristina pouted. “I’m not good at being patient and I’m not very good at guessing games either.”



“Do you remember when we first met and I said that if you ever came to Switzerland, I would give you a tour?”



“Of course and I’m still waiting.”



Urs handed her the envelope and Kristina giggled like a little child as she opened the envelope. “Oh my God! Plane tickets to Switzerland?”



“Yes.” Urs smiled. “I checked with Dr Mills and he said as long as you take it easy, you should be fine. It’s only for a week and I’ve made arrangements with a prívate clinic over there so you can still have your dialysis. I remember when we first met that you said you’d always wanted to go to Switzerland and after everything that’s happened I think we could both do with some time away.”



“Oh Urs, thank you.” She hugged him tightly. “It’s a brilliant idea.”



“And I thought it would be a good time for you to meet everyone.”



“Meet everyone? Like who?” Kristina asked nervously.



“My family.” Urs told her. “You already know my sister, Julianna.”



“And she probably hates me.” Kristina said quietly. “I dread to think what she’s told your family.”



“Of course she doesn’t hate you.” Urs said softly. “She knows that Marius lied to you. And as for the family, all they know about you is that I’m madly in love with you. My mother is longing to meet you.”



“She is?” Kristina looked surprised.



“Of course.” Urs chuckled. “She wants to meet the woman who’s wearing her mother’s engagement ring.”



“Do I have to pass some sort of test?” Kristina said jokingly.



“No, no test.” Urs smiled. “They’re going to love you just like I do. Nothing or no one is going to take you away from me ever again. When I think of what we’ve been through and how close we came to losing each other.” Urs said, holding her tightly. “Marius has a lot to answer for.”



“Please, let’s not talk about him.” Kristina frowned, laying her head against his chest. “I don’t want to ever have to talk about that man again. It frightens me sometimes, when I think of how we might not have met. If I hadn’t bumped in to you, if we had simply walked straight past one another.”



“Or if we hadn’t been seated at the same table.” Urs continued. “Or if you hadn’t found my cufflink, if Stephanie hadn’t got in touch with David, if you hadn’t travelled to Paris for business, if you hadn’t been given the Il Divo campaign. We would have met some day, I‘m sure of it. All these chance meetings, they weren’t just coincidences. No matter how cheesy it sounds, you and me, we were meant to be together, Krissy.”



“It sure seems that way.” Kristina smiled up at him.



“But I’ve been thinking, are you sure you bumped in to me by accident?” Urs asked, smirking. “Did you see me, and think wow, he’s cute. I’ve got to have him?”



“Get over yourself.” Kristina laughed, playfully slapping him. “If I had done it on purpose, do you seriously think I would’ve gone through five years of heartache, just to get here?”



Urs opened his mouth to speak, but Kristina lightly placed a finger on his lips.



“Actually, don’t answer that.” Kristina said, softly. “Because, no matter how many years it took, I ‘would’ go through it all again, just to be here now… with you.”



Urs held on to Kristina tightly, longing to mention the baby but knowing that now wasn’t the right time. Dr Mills had mentioned that she would be allowed to go home in a day or two, and perhaps once she was back home in familiar surroundings and then away from everything while they relaxed in Switzerland, she would be able to think clearly and come to a decision.

***** CHAPTER 198 *****

Much to her relief, Kristina had finally been discharged from hospital two days after being told about the trip to Switzerland. They had two weeks to prepare for the trip, so in that time Urs had been busy with plans for the upcoming album and promotions for the tour which had finally been confirmed by Simon. They wanted to get as many things done as they could before Urs vanished for a week.

As for Kristina, she had caught up on things with her sister and parents, spent some time with her niece, Eliana, viewed several houses that they were interested in, including the one in Sunny Hill Park and then had her cast removed. Unlike Urs’s time with a cast on, Kristina’s had been very uneventful and she hadn’t managed to get anything stuck inside. After Jenny teasing Urs about getting two pencils stuck in his cast, and again when she revealed that she knew about him taking Kristina out on his bike, Urs had threatened to tell Jenny about the time Kristina had got her toe stuck in the bath tap. But each time, Kristina talked him in to having an early night and managed to sweet talk him out of it; not that he needed much persuasion.

Neither of them had mentioned the baby in those two weeks. But they were leaving for Switzerland later that day and although Urs had agreed to give Kristina more time to think, the waiting was unbearable. He had to know what Kristina’s intentions were. So as they sat down to breakfast, Urs had tried to broach the subject with her but didn’t things didn’t go as planned.

“Should you be drinking that in your condition?” Urs asked, watching Kristina as she took her first sip of coffee.

“And what condition would that be?” Kristina replied, avoiding all eye contact with him as she put down her mug of coffee and opened the morning paper. “Because of my kidneys? Or the fact that I’m pregnant?”

“Both.” Urs said, placing his hand on her arm. She stared at his hand briefly before pulling away and folding up the paper.

“Don’t worry. If you and my parents have your way, I won’t be pregnant for much longer.” She replied casually, her chair scraping the floor as she stood up to leave. “That will be one less thing for you to worry about.”

“Krissy, how can you say such a thing?” Urs looked appalled.

“What? Are you telling me that you’ve changed your mind? That you want me to keep it?”

“I’ve always wanted you to keep it but if it means losing you then… then I don’t see that we have any choice.”

Kristina picked up her mug and went to the sink, switching on the tap as she poured away the coffee. After banging her mug down on the counter she then turned and glared at him.

“Happy now?”

“Krissy, please come and sit down. We need to talk about this. Sensibly.”

“I don’t want to talk. I just need time to think.”

“But it’s been two weeks. We can’t keep putting it off.” Urs replied. “It might get to the stage where it’s too late.”

“You mean too late for me to….”

“No.” Urs interrupted her, knowing that she meant too late for a termination. “I meant… I meant that you… your health… I don’t want to lose you, Krissy. But this baby… as much as I want it, and as much as I want to be a father, now’s not the right time.”

Kristina walked in to the hall, picked up her jacket and headed to the front door.

“Krissy, where are you going?”

“I’m going for a walk.” Kristina replied. “I need to get some fresh air.”

“Hang on a minute. I’ll get my coat and I’ll come with you.”

“No, I want to be on my own.” Kristina said, her voice now softening. “I don’t want us to argue. I just need to be alone. Please. I haven’t had a minute to myself these last two weeks since leaving hospital.”

“But are you ok?” Urs asked, softly as he approached her and gently cupped her face in his hands. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Fine. Like I said, I just need to think.”

Kristina kissed Urs goodbye and went for a walk and somehow ended up at the park near the house that they intended on buying. She remembered when her and Urs had been looking at houses before finally choosing this one. She loved the fact that it was so close to the park and thought it was ideal for her and Urs when they started a family. But now she began to wonder if it would ever happen.

Her eyes slowly scanned the park; all around there seemed to be children, a small group of boys were playing football and there were girls with a skipping rope. But one sight caught her attention as a little girl climbed up a slide, with her mother following her, making sure she didn’t slip. When she reached the top, her mother held on to her while she stood and waved to her father who was waiting below. “Catch me, daddy.” The little girl called out. She then sat down and started to scream with joy as she slid down the slide. But the screaming soon turned to giggles and squeals of delight, as her father caught her and picked her up and swung her around and around.

The mother’s face was one of utter happiness as she stood watching her husband and daughter and Kristina suddenly felt envious of her. She had yet to experience that joy. That’s when Kristina knew that she had to go ahead with the pregnancy. She had starting having doubts, when she could see how upset Urs was. But there was no way on earth that she could give up on their child, one that she wanted so badly. There was no way on earth that she could deny Urs this kind of joy, a blessing, to be a father. You didn’t get anything in life without taking a few risks, even if it meant risking her own life.

She’d been mulling over her thoughts for a couple of weeks now and each day it had become more obvious that she had to go ahead. What if something else happened further down the line? What if she had problems with her kidneys again and this time it might permanently ruin any chance of her falling pregnant. Kristina slowly made her way home, knowing that Urs wouldn’t be happy with her decision.

*****

“Krissy, we need to talk about this some more.”

“There’s no need, Urs. I’ve already decided. I’m going ahead with pregnancy.”

“But didn’t you hear the doctor? He said you could die.”

“Yes, ‘could’ being the important word. It’s just a possibility. But it doesn’t change a thing.”

“Why are you doing this Krissy?” Urs whispered.

“Why? Don’t you understand, Urs? Because of you. All along you’ve shown me nothing but love. And all I’ve ever done is turn you away and hurt you.”

“But that was before we knew about Marius and his lies.” Urs interrupted her. “You weren’t to blame for any of that.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. If I had been brave enough to tell you how much I loved you from the start, despite what Stephanie and Marius had told me; we would have been together years ago. I have to do this. I need to prove to you how much I love you.”

“Krissy, you have nothing to prove to me. I already know how much you love me. This is madness. This is life and death. I won’t let you do it, Krissy.”

“You can’t stop me, Urs. This is my decision. I don’t think I could love with myself if I…” Kristina turned away, unable to bring herself to say the word.

“Krissy, I know this is hard but sometimes things don’t always turn out the way you want them to and… and you have to learn to be strong enough to deal with it.” Urs told her.

“What do you think I’ve been doing these past few years?” Kristina suddenly snapped. “Things have never been easy for me, but I coped. You once told me that I was the strongest woman you knew or was it a lie?”

“It wasn’t a lie. You still are the strongest woman I know.” Urs interrupted, taking her hands in his. “But going through with this pregnancy is… is just crazy.”

“So you’d rather I got rid of it?” Kristina said, pulling her hands away from him.

“Krissy, please don’t say it like that. Of course I don’t want you to… but it’s too dangerous. I’m scared; scared for you and what could happen.”

“Well, there’s no need to be.” Kristina replied, looking away. “The doctor said that I could go ahead with it, aslong as I know the risks. I’ve thought long and hard about this, Urs. I’m not giving up on our child.”

“Krissy, look at me.” Urs said, taking her hands again and squeezing them gently. But Kristina didn’t look. “Kristina.” Urs said, his voice a little firmer.”Look at me. Please.”

Kristina finally looked at Urs.

“The love that I have for you… I used believe that you only feel like this about one person in your lifetime, Krissy.” Urs said, his voice now softer. “So when I lost Aimee, I thought that was it. It was all over for me. And then I met you. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to find love again. And now that I have you, I don’t intend on losing you too.”

Urs looked at her hoping that this time he could reach her and make her see sense but he knew how stubborn and determined she could be; he could tell by the look in her eyes that it was useless.

“I understand Urs, really I do.” Kristina said softly. “But you said that what ever my decision, you would always love me and we’d get through this together. Are you telling me that you’ve now changed your mind?”

“No, of course not.” Urs smile gently. “I’ll always be here, no matter what.”

“Good because I’m going to need you now more than ever. I’m scared Urs; scared that this might be my only chance to have a child. I want so much to be a mother but I also want to show you how much I love you by giving you a son or daughter. I know it’s going to be tough on both of us but I have to do this.”

Urs recognised the look of determination in her eyes.

“You’re not going to let anyone talk you out of this are you?”

Kristina shook her head.

“No. Not you; not even the doctors.”

Urs gave a gentle sigh, turned to pick up the phone that was on the table in the hall way and handed it to her.

“What’s this for?” she asked.

“You’d better give Dr Mills a call and let him know our decision, so that he can start arranging things.”

Kristina took the phone from Urs and then hesitated.

“You’re not angry with me?”

“Angry? No, I’m not angry.” Urs smiled. “I want this baby as much as you do. But I’m still worried.”

“I know what I’m doing, Urs. Believe me, it’s all I’ve been thinking about since you told me.”

“If you go ahead with this, do you promise me that you’ll do whatever I ask? If I think you’re over doing things, I want you to listen to me and take it easy; that if you so much as sneeze, no matter how much you protest, we’re going straight to the doctors.”

“I promise.” Kristina said, before hugging Urs tightly. “I’ll do what ever you want.”

***** CHAPTER 199 *****

Kristina was looking forward to seeing Urs’s hometown, but she wasn’t feeling as enthusiastic about meeting his family. She was feeling nervous and worried that she wouldn’t live up to his mothers expectations. Her nerves had only increased when they left Urs’s apartment and by the time they had got to the airport, Kristina was wishing she’d made up an excuse as to why they couldn’t travel. But when she caught her first few glimpses of Switzerland and the breath taking mountains, she soon forgot about her nerves. It looked so beautiful from above, as they flew over fields, forests, hills, rivers and mountains, everywhere was green with the odd orange roof dotted about here and there; most of them were farms.

After landing at Bern airport, and collecting the rental car that Urs had arranged they had just over an hours drive to his house. Along the way, Urs would point out some famous landmarks and tell her the history behind them. As they approached Willisau, Urs started to point out more personal landmarks, such as where he went to school, his first place of employment, the bike track that led off a main road where he used to go with friends, the pub where he had his first beer. Kristina loved listening to him and she could already see a difference in him and knew that he loved being home and was very proud of his country. It wasn’t long before they had reached the end of their journey.

“Well, this is my home. Do you like it?”

Kristina looked up at the house where Urs had stopped. Kristina wasn’t sure what to expect but it was just your regular house, nothing big and flashy. It was painted white and had a small porch with an old wooden swing chair hanging beside the front door, white shutters on the windows, the traditional orange roofing and a garage to the side. On the other side of the driveway was a large shed full of logs. She remembered Urs telling her how it could get cold sometimes and he had an open fire; she was looking forward to trying that out. Between the log shed and the driveway was a large piece of grass with a childs swing on it. She wondered how long it had been there; a long time she guessed, it didn’t look as if t has been used for several years with its rusting metal frame. Her thoughts then returned their child she was carrying and she wondered if he or she would ever get the chance to play on it. The next thing she noticed was the name on the double gates.

“Les Pommerats?” she said aloud. “French?”

“Roughly translated, it means Apple Alley. There’s an orchard out the back and in the summer there’s an endless supply of apples and plums and raspberries. So what do you think?”

“Of the orchard?”

“The house, silly.”

While Urs got out of the car and went round to her side and opened her door, Kristina looked up at the house again. It was nestled in the hillside and beyond she could see the mountains. The closest neighbours were at least five or six hundred yards further down the road.

“I love it. It’s such a beautiful place. But why are we here? Aren’t we going to see your family?”

“We’ll go tomorrow.” Urs said, taking her hand as he helped her out of the car. “We need to unpack and you should rest.”

“But won’t they be expecting us?”

“Well they don’t exactly know we’re coming. I mean they know I’m coming but I didn’t mention you. They think it’s just me, coming to celebrate mother’s birthday.”

“So they have no idea that I’m coming. Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“Will you stop worrying?”

“Sorry. It’s just that I’m worried your mom won’t like me.”

“You really do worry too much.”

Urs then looked up at the darkening sky as huge black clouds started to cover the blue expanse.

“It looks like it’s going to rain. Why don’t you take the keys and let yourself inside. I’ll bring our bags in.”

Urs handed Kristina the keys and she made her way to the front door. During her career as a publicist, Kristina had travelled a lot and she realized each place seemed to have its own distinctive smell. When she thought of Paris she thought of all the different café’s and the smell of food, when she thought of London, she thought of smog and traffic, back home in Manhattan she thought of heatwaves and crowds. But Switzerland, it was so different, green fields in every direction, big open spaces, and it smelt like something she’d never known before with its sweet, fresh mountain air. Time away was definitely going to be good for both of them.

Kristina opened the front door and made her way inside to the entrance hall. For some strange reason, the house seemed bigger inside than it did from outside. To her immediate right were the stairs which had a small balcony that overlooked the hall. Kristina made her way down the hallway; at the end she found a large kitchen equipped with all the mod cons. There was a door off the kitchen that led to a huge dining area with a large table that could seat at least ten people. There was another door off the hallway that led to the living area which had double doors that led out to a patio and the garden and orchard that Urs had mentioned earlier. The main feature in the living room was the large open fireplace, which was framed with a stone mantelpiece and had a thick cream rug spread infront of it. The walls on the whole ground floor seemed to be painted in the same warm caramel colour, except for the kitchen which was a soft pale green and the wooden floors were stained a dark walnut.

Apart from a bathroom, the only other downstairs rooms that Kristina came across was a small home gym, and what looked like a small study, with two floor to ceiling bookcases, a music system, a writing desk and a sofa.

The whole place was immaculately clean and nothing looked out of place; she didn’t expect anything less from Urs. But she also knew it had been several weeks since he’d been here last, so he’d obviously had someone in to clean the place, it was way too clean. One thing Kristina noticed was that there was a lot of oak furniture around and some of it looked quite old, almost antique.

“So this is where you’re hiding.”

Kristina turned around to see Urs standing in the doorway.

“You have a very beautiful home.” Kristina commented as she approached him.

“No, ‘we’ have a very beautiful home. This is yours too now.” Urs replied, before kissing her on the forehead. “I’ve left our bags in the halld because I’m just going to get some logs from outside for the fire, before it starts raining. I’ll only be a few minutes. Why don’t you have a look around upstairs? And leave the bags where they are, I’ll take them up later. I don’t want you lifting a thing. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.” Kristina snapped her feet to attention and saluted him.

Urs tutted and sighed and walked off chuckling to himself as he went to get the logs for the fire. Kristina went back to the hallway and went upstairs to look around. At the top of the stairs was a very large and modern looking bathroom, with sparkling white tiles and an Edwardian style free standing bath. Kristina couldn’t wait to try that out either. Off the main landing there were three double bedrooms and what looked like the main bedroom, had a small balconette which had a view of the mountains and the orchard. As Kristina stood admiring the view, it started raining hard. She opened one of the bedroom windows and took in another breath of the smog free air and this time smelt the fresh damp air. It was the most invigorating feeling. Kristina closed the window, wondering where Urs was as he seemed to be taking a long time. Kristina went back downstairs and found Urs lighting the log fire in the living room.

He turned when he saw Kristina and got to his feet. He was drenched from head to foot, with water dripping from his hair, and his shirt now soaking wet and clinging to his torso.

“Is it raining by any chance?” Kristina smirked.

“Just a small shower; now come here and give me a kiss.”

“Oh no! You go and get changed and dry off first.”

Urs gave her a cheeky grin and took a step towards her.

“Urs… no.” Kristina took a step back. “I know what you’re thinking but you’re soaking wet.”

“It’s only water.” Urs took another step towards her. “It won’t hurt you.”

“But… we have to unpack.”

Kristina took a step sideways so that the sofa was now between them.

“Is that the best you can come up with?” Urs chuckled. “Come on, help me get undressed and warm up. A man could catch his death of cold. I promise I won’t try any funny stuff.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.” Urs said calmly, crossing his fingers behind his back.

Kristina studied him, trying to decide if he was telling the truth. She could see that playful look in his eyes, but he had promised he wouldn’t try anything. Against her better judgement, Kristina slowly made her way towards him. When she was within arms reach, Urs put a hand out and gently tugged her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist and covering her mouth with his lips before she could object. She struggled at first, shivering as the cold wet shirt started to soak through her thin blouse. But as Urs continued to kiss her she finally gave in to his advances and kissed him back until they both had to take a breath. Urs looked down at her clothes.

“Now we’re both wet…” Urs whispered, as he started to undo the buttons on her blouse.

“You made a promise. No funny business.” Kristina mumbled when Urs started to kiss her neck.

“You call making love ‘funny business’?” Urs whispered, slipping the blouse from her shoulders and letting it fall to the floor.

“Is that what we’re doing?” she murmured.

Urs knelt down on the thick cream rug and pulled Kristina down with him.

“Not yet… but give it a few minutes.”

***** CHAPTER 200 *****

It was dusk when Kristina woke and she could hear the rain against the windows. She was lying stretched out on the large cream rug infront of the now dying fire, covered with a blanket and her and Urs’ clothes were neatly folded and hanging over the back of a chair near the fire place; Urs ever the perfectionist.

Kristina could hear footsteps down the hallway and rolled over on to her tummy, propping herself up on her elbows to see Urs standing in the doorway, smiling at her. He was wearing nothing but an apron tied around his waist and had a spatula in his hand.

“Hungry?” he asked.

Kristina smiled as she looked him over and arched an eyebrow.

“Depends what’s on offer.”

“Later.” Urs chuckled. “Food first. How does chicken stir fry sound for starters and then apple and cinnamon pancakes?”

“Mmm, delicious. I’m starving.” Kristina sighed.

“I’m not surprised. We worked up quite an appetite.” He winked at her. “You’ve got about a minute until dinner’s ready.”

Urs then turned and headed back in the direction of the kitchen giving Kristina a perfect view of his toned backside.

Kristina sighed with contentment and rested her chin in her hands, thinking how lucky she was to have a man as wonderful as Urs loving her, and to be bearing his child. She didn’t know it was possible to love someone as much as she loved him. Urs was the perfect gentleman and she loved everything about him; the way he looked in those tight jeans, his wild hair in the mornings, the way he smelt, his smile, his voice, and his unconditional love for her. And she loved how she felt when they made love, it was like nothing she’d ever known, it was like they were two pieces of a puzzle who fit together perfectly.

“It’s ready.” Urs called out from the kitchen, bringing her back from her thoughts.

“On my way.” She replied, getting to her feet and wrapping the blanket around her.

When she entered the kitchen, Urs was just putting their plates on the table. But Kristina was more interested in Urs than food.

“Urs…” she moaned softly against his mouth, as she wrapped her arms around his waist and started pulling at the strings on his apron. “Let’s have an early night.”

He laughed and pulled away, and looked over at the breakfast table.

“What about dinner?”

“Let’s forget dinner.” She replied, pulling him back for another kiss. “I’m tired.”

He ran his hands down her body and gently gripped her hips as he took a deep breath, slowly letting it out through gritted teeth.

“No… sit.” He said reluctantly letting go of her. “You’re eating for two now and you promised to do exactly what I told you.”

“Spoilsport.” Kristina pouted at him and all Urs could think of was how much he loved her.

“Eat.” He pointed to her plate as he sat down at the table.

“Geez I never knew you could be so bossy.” Kristina rolled her eyes at him.

“You’d better get used to it; unless you want to call the wedding off.”

“Oh no, you don’t get rid of me that easily. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”

“Glad to hear it.” Urs smiled before taking a mouthful of food. “Because I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Me neither.” Kristina grinned.

The rest of their meal was spent discussing what they could do for the remainder of their two week stay. Aswell as introducing her to his family, Urs planned on showing Kristina his hometown. There was the local market in the old town quarter with its city walls and towers and quaint wooden houses. There was the old mill, the parish church and three eye catching heptagonal fountains in the main street, aswell as the bailiffs castle and the grand looking town hall. One of the biggest attractions was a tour of the Willisauer Ringli factory, a hallmark of the town for its famous tasty honey ring biscuits. And if Kristina was up to it, there were lots of walks or bicycle routes with amazing views along the way; if not then they could take one of the horse drawn carriages.

Kristina wanted to see all of it and didn’t know how they would fit it all in. But Urs told her not to worry, if they didn’t manage it all this time, it gave them all the more reason to come back again and soon.

When they’d finished eating, Urs cleared the plates away and left them on the counter to be washed up in the morning. He was still wearing nothing but an apron, giving Kristina another perfect view of his rear. When he turned around he saw Kristina staring.

“Pervert.”

“What do you expect when you’re walking around the house half naked?” she replied. “Is that going to be a regular thing?”

“No, my jeans were still wet, so it’s a one off.”

“Shame.” Kristina sighed. “I could very easily get used to it.”

“Well maybe if you’re good I’ll consider it…” Urs said, as he took her hand in his and pulled her to her feet. “Now what were you saying about an early night?”

“I’m not really tired any more.” Kristina said innocently.

“Well, we can soon change that.” Urs said, as he bent down and picked her up, carefully swinging her over his shoulder.

“Urs Buhler!” She shrieked, giggling with laughter as she slapped his bare bum. “Put me down!”

“All in good time, my dear; all in good time.” He replied, as he carried her upstairs and gently placed her on the bed where he reminded her just how much he loved her.